SyntaxError: multiple statements found while compiling a single statement

Question

I'm in Python 3.3 and I'm only entering these 3 lines:

import sklearn as sk
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

I'm getting this error:

SyntaxError: multiple statements found while compiling a single statement

What could I be doing wrong?

Screenshot:

score 59 · Answer 1 · edited Dec 20 '22 at 08:07

59

I had the same problem. This worked for me on mac (and linux):

echo "set enable-bracketed-paste off" >> ~/.inputrc

edited Dec 20 '22 at 08:07

iman

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answered May 30 '21 at 04:41

Adnan Boz

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For macOS, this is the correct answer. Just add that and restart the python console and it will now accept pasting multiple lines. – scuac Jul 15 '21 at 16:25
1

did not work for me on iterm – Merlin Nov 23 '21 at 07:15
See this homebrew issue for more details: https://github.com/Homebrew/homebrew-core/issues/68193 – beerbajay Dec 18 '21 at 21:16
3

I am on Ubuntu Linux and it worked for me too. Thank you! – Colin McGovern Jul 27 '22 at 14:40

score 21 · Answer 2 · answered Jan 20 '14 at 05:42

21

In the shell, you can't execute more than one statement at a time:

>>> x = 5
y = 6
SyntaxError: multiple statements found while compiling a single statement

You need to execute them one by one:

>>> x = 5
>>> y = 6
>>>

When you see multiple statements are being declared, that means you're seeing a script, which will be executed later. But in the interactive interpreter, you can't do more than one statement at a time.

answered Jan 20 '14 at 05:42

aIKid

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This is not true, you can just paste in `x=6 \n x=6` and it will work just fine. Its impossible to say without a full traceback, and I think the actual answer is more towards jmu's – Games Brainiac Jan 20 '14 at 05:47
@GamesBrainiac Hum.. Really? I pasted your snippet and i got `SyntaxError: unexpected character after line continuation character`.. – aIKid Jan 20 '14 at 05:49
I pasted his code into the console, and got no error whatsoever. – Games Brainiac Jan 20 '14 at 05:50
@Games What are you using? I pasted it and i got exactly the same error with the one in my answer. – aIKid Jan 20 '14 at 05:51
I believe GB means `\n` as in an actual newline. aIKid, are you pasting a literal backslash and n? – user2357112 Jan 20 '14 at 05:53
1

@user2357112 Ah, yeah, i did. But using an actual newline just got me the same error as in my answer. – aIKid Jan 20 '14 at 05:54
Let's just continue in chat, meanwhile i'll delete this answer. – aIKid Jan 20 '14 at 05:55
@GamesBrainiac You're still here? – aIKid Jan 20 '14 at 05:58
@aIKid mmhmm. I think we need to see a full traceback before we can actually give a definitive answer. – Games Brainiac Jan 20 '14 at 05:59
@GamesBrainiac Yeah, sure, but can you join me in chat? – aIKid Jan 20 '14 at 06:00
@GamesBrainiac False. Using the shell you cannot enter multiple statements using Enter or \n. You can enter multiple statements by separating the statements using semicolon, as in `x = 5; y = 6` . You need to go into script mode. – john Jun 13 '20 at 13:11

score 7 · Answer 3 · answered Jul 21 '20 at 22:58

A (partial) practical work-around is to put things into a throw-away function.

Pasting

x = 1
x += 1
print(x)

results in

>>> x = 1
x += 1
print(x)
  File "<stdin>", line 1
    x += 1
print(x)

    ^
SyntaxError: multiple statements found while compiling a single statement
>>>

However, pasting

def abc():
  x = 1
  x += 1
  print(x)

works:

>>> def abc():
  x = 1
  x += 1
  print(x)
>>> abc()
2
>>>

Of course, this is OK for a quick one-off, won't work for everything you might want to do, etc. But then, going to ipython / jupyter qtconsole is probably the next simplest option.

score 2 · Answer 4 · answered Dec 08 '21 at 02:46

You are using the interactive shell which allows on line at a time. What you can do is put a semi-colon between every line, like this - import sklearn as sk;import numpy as np;import matplotlib.pyplot as plt. Or you can create a new file by control+n where you will get the normal idle. Don't forget to save that file before running. To save - control+s. And then run it from the above menu bar - run > run module.

score 1 · Answer 5 · answered May 27 '21 at 09:34

1

Long-term solution is to just use another GUI for running Python e.g. IDLE or M-x run-python in Emacs.

answered May 27 '21 at 09:34

Christabella Irwanto

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score 1 · Answer 6 · answered Oct 06 '22 at 12:26

1

The solution I found was to download Idlex and use its IDLE version, which allows multiple lines.

_{This was originally added to Revision 4 of the question.}

answered Oct 06 '22 at 12:26

mkrieger1

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SyntaxError: multiple statements found while compiling a single statement

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