How to fix indentation errors with empty "if" block?

Question

While trying to put if's and elif's in a while loop, it would automatically indent the elif under the if. I tried deleting the indentation, but when I went to test it, I get an indentation error:

expected an indented block

So I tried adding the indentation back, which just seems strange since this is the first time this has happened. I then got a plain syntax error.

I tried removing the indentation: received indent error.
I tried including indentation: received syntax error.

def airlock(inventory):
  clear()
  userin = None
  inventory["note"] = "your astronaut ID is: 2579"
  while userin != "quit":
    time.sleep(1.5)
    print("description of airlock, keypad on wall next to door")
    print("what u wanna do? 1 look around 2 check pockets 3 go to keypad")
    userin = input()
    
    if userin == "1":
      #describe the keypad. there is nothing else in the room
      
    elif userin == "2":
      invinspect(inventory)

def invinspect(inventory):
  userin = None 
  print(inventory.keys())
  print("what would you like to do? 1. look closer 2 go back")
  userin = input()
  if userin == 1:
    print(str(inventory))
  else:
    
  
def main():
  inventory = {}
  airlock(inventory)

main()

Does this answer your question? [How to create an 'empty if statement' in python](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/15081516/how-to-create-an-empty-if-statement-in-python) — Gino Mempin, Apr 29 '23 at 03:32
Does this answer your question? [Why can't if statement be empty in python like in some other languages?](https://stackoverflow.com/q/44276474/2745495) — Gino Mempin, Apr 29 '23 at 03:42

score 1 · Accepted Answer · edited Apr 29 '23 at 03:38

As mentioned in the comment, if you introduce a conditional statement in Python, you must have some kind of statement after it. This can be a "dummy" statement like pass, but it cannot be a comment (they don't count).

Examples:

x = 5

if x > 4:   # GOOD
    print('bigger than 4')

if x > 4:   # GOOD
    pass

if x > 4:   # ERROR
    # a comment

Try the following code. You had 2 locations where you had a conditional without a following line. Be sure to check the line numbers where you are getting errors. Note that I commented out clear() because it is not defined

import time

def airlock(inventory):
  #clear()
  userin = None
  inventory["note"] = "your astronaut ID is: 2579"
  while userin != "quit":
    time.sleep(1.5)
    print("description of airlock, keypad on wall next to door")
    print("what u wanna do? 1 look around 2 check pockets 3 go to keypad")
    userin = input()
    
    if userin == "1":
      pass
      #describe the keypad. there is nothing else in the room
      
    elif userin == "2":
      invinspect(inventory)

def invinspect(inventory):
  userin = None 
  print(inventory.keys())
  print("what would you like to do? 1. look closer 2 go back")
  userin = input()
  if userin == 1:
    print(str(inventory))
  else:
    pass
    
  
def main():
  inventory = {}
  airlock(inventory)

main()

adding the pass where you did worked. The clear function was defined elsewhere using the OS module. Thank you! — Emily StG, Apr 29 '23 at 02:40

How to fix indentation errors with empty "if" block?

1 Answers1