[Tutor] 2 Very basic queries

[Jim Byrnes]

On 03/25/2014 02:21 PM, Saad Bashir wrote:
> Hi everyone!
>
> I am a novice programmer and actually learning to program in Python. I have
> two issues that I am embarrassed to present as they seem to be extremely
> basic.
>
> 1.  But encouraged by the site to ask event the most basic questions on
> this forum, here goes:
>
>   I am using the book:
>
> Practical Programming: an introduction to computer science using Python 3.
>
> As per its instructions I am using the IDLE environment (Python shell) of
> Python [3.2.3 MSC v.1500 64 bit AMD64].  I have been going through the book
> without any problems but have become stuck at the following stage:
>
> When using "if" and "elif" statement I get two types of error messages:
>
> 1. Practicing the code as given in the book:
>
>      >>> ph = float(input('Enter the pH level: '))
> Enter the pH level: 8.5
>>>> if ph < 7.0:
> ...       print(ph, "is acidic.")
> ...        elif ph > 7.0:
> ...         print(ph, "is basic.")
>
> When I write this in the Python shell, as soon as I hit return after "elif
> ph > 7.0:"
> I get an error message highlighting "elif" and saying syntax error.
>
> Or if I try the indentation as follows with elif aligned if above I get the
> message below:
>
>>>> ph = float(input('Enter the pH level: '))
> Enter the pH level: 8.5
>>>> if ph < 7.0:
> ...       print(ph, "is acidic.")
> ...    elif ph > 7.0:
> ...     print(ph, "is basic.")
>
> "SyntaxError: : unindent does not match any outer indentation level.
>
> I have tried everything I can think of but to no avail. Please help.

 >>> ph = float(input('Enter the ph level: '))
Enter the ph level: 8.5
 >>>
 >>> if ph < 7.0:
	print(ph, 'is acidic.')
     elif ph > 7.0:
	
SyntaxError: unindent does not match any outer indentation level
 >>> if ph < 7.0:
	print(ph, 'is acidic.')
elif ph > 7.0:
	print(ph, 'is basic.')

	
8.5 is basic.

I am also learning Python and find idle hard to use. My first if/elif 
pair looks perfectly aligned but gives a SyntaxError, while my second 
if/elif pair looks to be not aligned but works fine.

I imagine there is a better explanation but here is how I think of it. 
Python seems to ignore the >>> and considers the i starting if to be in 
column 0, so if you put your elif against the left margin it works.

>
> 2. Another problem is that the Python shell is allowing me to copy/paste
> any code at all.  Is there something I am not doing right?

I was able to copy from idle using Ctrl-C and paste to my newreader 
using Ctrl-V and then copy from my newsreader back to idle using the 
same procedure.  I am using Linux and you seem to be using Windows may 
be it works differently so I can't help you with it.


Regards,  Jim