Unable to solve a Python error message

Question

The code is from K. Pollari-Malmi's lecture notes for the course "Introduction to Programming":

def main():
    print "Ohjelma laskee asuntolainan kuukausierat." 
    rivi = raw_input("Anna lainasumma: ") 
    lainasumma = float(rivi) 
    rivi = raw_input("Anna laina-aika vuosina: ") 
    laina_aika = int(rivi) 
    if laina_aika < 1: 
        print "liian lyhyt laina-aika" 
    else: 
        kk_lkm = 12 * laina_aika 
        rivi = raw_input("Anna korkoprosentti: ") 
        korko = float(rivi) 
        lyhennys = lainasumma / kk_lkm 
        paaoma = lainasumma 
        i = 0 
        print " lyhennys korko yhteensa" 
        while i < kk_lkm: 
            i = i + 1 
            korkoera = korko / 1200.0 * paaoma 
            paaoma = paaoma - lyhennys 
            kuukausiera = korkoera + lyhennys 
            print "%2d. %8.2f %8.2f %8.2f" % \         # mistake probably here
                (i, lyhennys, korkoera, kuukausiera) 
main()

I get the syntax error

SyntaxError: unexpected character after line continuation character

How can you solve the error message?

Answer 1

Try modifying these lines:

        print "%2d. %8.2f %8.2f %8.2f" % \         # mistake probably here
            (i, lyhennys, korkoera, kuukausiera)

to this line:

        print "%2d. %8.2f %8.2f %8.2f" % (i, lyhennys, korkoera, kuukausiera)

Also, note that a line ending with a backslash cannot carry a comment. So your #mistake probably here comment is likely causing the problem.

Answer 2

You can't have anything, even whitespace, after the line continuation character.

Either delete the whitespace, or wrap the entire line in a pair of parentheses. Python implicitly joins lines between parentheses, curly braces, and square brackets:

print ( "%2d. %8.2f %8.2f %8.2f" % 
        (i, lyhennys, korkoera, kuukausiera) )

Answer 3

Try rewriting this:

print "%2d. %8.2f %8.2f %8.2f" % \         # mistake probably here
            (i, lyhennys, korkoera, kuukausiera)

To this:

print ("%2d. %8.2f %8.2f %8.2f" %
       (i, lyhennys, korkoera, kuukausiera))

\ should work too, but IMO it's less readable.

Answer 4

Replace:

print "%2d. %8.2f %8.2f %8.2f" % \
    (i, lyhennys, korkoera, kuukausiera)

By:

print "%2d. %8.2f %8.2f %8.2f" % (
    i, lyhennys, korkoera, kuukausiera)

General remark: always use English for identifiers

Answer 5

Several answers already gave you the crux of your problem, but I want to make a plug for my favorite way to get logical line continuation in Python, when feasible:

print "%2d. %8.2f %8.2f %8.2f" % (         # no mistake here
            i, lyhennys, korkoera, kuukausiera)

i.e., instead of using extra parentheses as some answers advise, you can take advantage of any parenthesis you already naturally happen to have -- that will tell Python that you need logical line continuation, too;-)

Answer 6

In general, I find I don't use line continuation in Python. You can make it cleaner with parentheses and so on.

Answer 7

"\" means "this line continue to the next line" and it can't have any character after it. There probably is a space right after.

Two solution :

Ensure there is not spaces after;

Rewrite the statement on one line :

print "%2d. %8.2f %8.2f %8.2f" % (i, lyhennys, korkoera, kuukausiera)

You can even use parenthesis to make it fit on several lines :

print "%2d. %8.2f %8.2f %8.2f" % (
       i, lyhennys, korkoera, kuukausiera)