[NEWBIE]- Syntax error

[Steve Holden]

"Alistair Campbell" <campbells4 at ozemail.com.au> wrote in message
news:a7YS8.727$yY2.23825 at ozemail.com.au...
> Hi,
> I imagine the answer to this post is very simple ... but I'm not proud.
>
> Using Python2.2 on Windows OS
>
> Anyway, when I try to run a script fom the command line in IDLE or Python
>
> >>>python name_of_script.py
>
> the interpreter complains that there is a syntax error and highlights the
> "name_of _script" part.
>
> I imagine that I have not initialised some PATH variable or other. I guess
> that i need to put something in the autoexec.bat. Can anyone suggest what?
>

When you see the ">>>" prompt, the program that's currently reading your
input *is* the Python interpreter.

You should use

    python nameofscript.py

at your shell command line prompt. You *can* execute your Python code from
the ">>>" prompt with

    import nameofscript

but then I'd have to explain why this works only once, and why thereafter
you'd need to use

    reload(nameofscript)

regards
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Steve Holden                                 http://www.holdenweb.com/
Python Web Programming                http://pydish.holdenweb.com/pwp/
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