How to Fix SyntaxError: Invalid Syntax When Using Command Line in Python

Manav Narula Feb 02, 2024
How to Fix SyntaxError: Invalid Syntax When Using Command Line in Python

We can use Python with the command line to run files, manage packages, and more. To run a file, we redirect to the given directory where the file is present, run the command prompt, and use the python filename.py command to run the script.

This tutorial will discuss the file "<stdin>", line 1 SyntaxError: invalid syntax error when using the command line in Python.

SyntaxError: invalid syntax When Using the Command Line in Python

Not Running the Command in the Command Prompt

This error is raised when we try to run a Python script using the Python shell; we use a Python shell to type and execute commands. To run a file, we need to use the command prompt, as discussed earlier.

The following code is an example of this error.

python filename.py

Output:

file "<stdin>", line 1 SyntaxError: invalid syntax

The only way to fix this error is to run this line of code in the command prompt. We must redirect to the directory where the file is stored and run the command prompt.

We need to execute this command, which will run the code in the filename.py script file.

Environment Variables Are Not Set Properly

Another reason behind this error can be due to the environment variables. We set the environment variables so the command prompt can identify and run Python commands.

This error can occur if the environment variables are not set properly.

To set the environment variables, we should follow these simple steps.

  • First, right-click the This PC icon on the desktop and select the Properties option.
  • Then, we need to select the Advanced Settings menu and the Environment Variables options, which will take us to the Environment Variable window.
  • Here, we need to add the directory of the Python executable to the PATH variable for the User.
  • If the error persists, we can create a new variable named Python and add the directory here.

This should help in resolving the error.

Author: Manav Narula
Manav Narula avatar Manav Narula avatar

Manav is a IT Professional who has a lot of experience as a core developer in many live projects. He is an avid learner who enjoys learning new things and sharing his findings whenever possible.

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