else elif statements not working in Python

Question

I m a newbie to Python and currently learning Control Flow commands like if  else  etc    The if statement is working all fine  but when I write else or elif commands  the interpreter gives me a syntax error  I m using Python 3 2 1 and the problem is arising in both its native interpreter and IDLE   I m following as it is given in the book  A Byte Of Python    As you can see  elif and else are giving Invalid Syntax    gt  gt  number 23  gt  gt  guess   input  Enter a number       gt  gt  if guess    number   gt  gt     print  Congratulations  You guessed it     gt  gt  elif guess  lt  number         It is giving me  Invalid Syntax      gt  gt  else         It is also giving me  Invalid syntax       Why is this happening  I m getting the problem in both IDLE and the interactive python   I hope the syntax is right

User · Answer

if guess    number       print   Good    elif guess    2       print   Bad    else       print   Also bad     Make sure you have your identation right  The syntax is ok

User · Answer

It looks like you are entering a blank line after the body of the if statement   This is a cue to the interactive compiler that you are done with the block entirely  so it is not expecting any elif else blocks   Try entering the code exactly like this  and only hit enter once after each line   if guess    number      print  Congratulations  You guessed it    elif guess  lt  number      pass   Your code here else      pass   Your code here

User · Answer

The problem is the blank line you are typing before the else or elif   Pay attention to the prompt you re given   If it is  gt  gt  gt   then Python is expecting the start of a new statement   If it is      then it s expecting you to continue a previous statement

User · Answer

elif and else must immediately follow the end of the if block  or Python will assume that the block has closed without them   if 1      pass               lt --- this line must be indented at the same level as the  pass  else      pass   In your code  the interpreter finishes the if block when the indentation  so the elif and the else aren t associated with it  They are thus being understood as standalone statements  which doesn t make sense     In general  try to follow the style guidelines  which include removing excessive whitespace

User · Answer

Remember that by default the return value from the input will be a string and not an integer  You cannot compare strings with booleans like  lt           lt    unless you are comparing the length   Therefore your code should look like this   number   23 guess   int input  Enter a number         The var guess will be an integer  if guess    number      print  Congratulations  You guessed it     elif guess    number      print  Wrong Number

User · Answer

Besides that your indention is wrong  The code wont work  I know you are using python 3  something  I am using python 2 7 3 the code that will actually work for what you trying accomplish is this   number   str 23  guess    input  Enter a number     if guess    number     print  Congratulations  You guessed it    elif guess  lt  number       print  Wrong Number   elif guess  lt  number       print  Wrong Number     The only difference I would tell python that number is a string of character for the code to work  If not is going to think is a Integer  When somebody runs the code they are inputing a string not an integer  There are many ways of changing this code but this is the easy solution I wanted to provide there is another way that I cant think of without making the 23 into a string  Or you could of  23  put quotations or you could of use int   function in the input  that would transform anything they input into and integer a number

User · Answer

In IDLE and the interactive python  you entered two consecutive CRLF which brings you out of the if statement  It s the problem of IDLE or interactive python  It will be ok when you using any kind of editor  just make sure your indentation is right

User · Answer

Python can generate same  invalid syntax  error even if ident for  elif  block not matching to  if  block ident  tabs for the first  spaces for second or vice versa

User · Answer

indentation is important in Python  Your if else statement should be within triple arrow        In Mac python IDLE version 3 7 4 elif statement doesn t comes  with correct indentation when you go on next line you have to shift left to avoid syntax error

[python] else & elif statements not working in Python

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