CODEWITHSUNDEEP
python
Christina Zhou
Christina Zhou

Reputation: 1863

Python: correct usage of triple quotes

My code doesn't run if I use triple quotes before an else statement:

def do_something(test_option=False):
    """
    function to do something
    :param test_option: bool
    :return: None
    """
    
    '''
    Testing
    '''
    
    if test_option==True:
        print("testing")
    
    '''
    Visualization
    '''
    
    else:
        # do thing

I get a red squiggly under my else. Why is this?

I understand that ''' can also be used for function annotation. Is it not supposed to be used anywhere else?

Suggestions for alternative ways to highlight organization of code? (My IDE literally highlights ''' in yellow which I have been using organize different sections of my code.)

Upvotes: 3

Views: 1868

Answers (3)

blhsing
blhsing

Reputation: 106648

Triple quotes represent a string literal, not a comment, so by placing the Visualization outside the if block with the same level of indentation you are effectively ending the if statement, so the following else clause becomes invalid. Indent Visualization inside the if block to avoid such an error.

Upvotes: 6

smci
smci

Reputation: 33950

Only use triple-quotes for docstrings (or else other multiline strings, which are rare).

Don't try to use them for comments. Use # your comment goes here...

def do_something(test_option=False):
    """
    function to do something
    :param test_option: bool
    :return: None
    """

    # Testing
    if test_option==True:
        print("testing")

    # Visualization
    else:
        # do thing

(Note by the way that comments are more compact)

Upvotes: 2

Ed Ward
Ed Ward

Reputation: 2331

The issue is that Python thinks that you've ended the if statement. You went back an indent to put your comment in, so it has invalid syntax. Try this:

def do_something(test_option=False):
    """
    function to do something
    :param test_option: bool
    :return: None
    """

    '''
    Testing
    '''

    if test_option==True:
        print("testing")

        '''
        Visualization
        '''

    else:
        # do thing
        pass

Upvotes: 1

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