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Python Python Basics (Retired) Shopping List Shopping List Project

Posted by Tristan Gaebler
Tristan Gaebler
6,204 Points

I'm getting a syntax error that I can't figure out

Here's my code

shopping_list = list()

print("What should we pick up at the store?")
print("Enter 'Done' to stop adding items")

while True:
    new_item = input(">")

    if new_item == 'Done':
        break

    shopping_list.append(new_item)
    print("Added! List has {} items.".format(len(shopping_list))
    continue

print("Here's your list:")

for item in shopping_list:
    print(item)

It says continue is the probelm

3 Answers

Chris Freeman
MOD
Chris Freeman
Treehouse Moderator 68,441 Points
Chris Freeman
Chris Freeman
Treehouse Moderator 68,441 Points

Are you running with Python 3?

In python 2, input([prompt]) is equivalent to **eval(raw_input(prompt))

So python2 is trying to evaluate your input.  In **this** case, your input needs to be as strings:  ```"Apples"``` or ```"Done"```.  (See [docs](https://docs.python.org/2/library/functions.html#input))

If you run your code with python 3, it should work as expected!  

In python 3, **input([prompt])**  reads a line from input, converts it to a string (stripping a trailing newline), and returns that.  (See [docs](https://docs.python.org/3/library/functions.html#input))
Tristan Gaebler
Tristan Gaebler
6,204 Points

Ya I was running python 2. Thanks for the help!!

Chris Freeman
MOD
Chris Freeman
Treehouse Moderator 68,441 Points
Chris Freeman
Chris Freeman
Treehouse Moderator 68,441 Points

Sometimes the error is in the line just above where the error is indicated due to "runaway" syntax like a missing quote (") or a paren ")". In your case, you need another paren to close the print function:

 print("Added! List has {} items.".format(len(shopping_list))) # <-- added paren
Tristan Gaebler
Tristan Gaebler
6,204 Points

Okay that fixed it, but now I'm getting a new error. Every time I input something it gives me an error. This is what it says

Traceback (most recent call last): File "shopping_list.py", line 8, in <module> new_item = input(">") File "<string>", line 0

^

SyntaxError: unexpected EOF while parsing

Dalton DeMaria
Dalton DeMaria
5,679 Points
Dalton DeMaria
Dalton DeMaria
5,679 Points

You don't need the continue at the end of the while block. It is redundant, as a while loop will run the code within the block as long as the condition is true and break/return isn't used to escape. I'm not sure if that would make python freak out, though.

Here is my version of your code that works for me:

shopping_list = list()

print("What should we pick up at the store?")
print("Enter 'Done' to stop adding items")

while True:
    new_item = input(">")

    if new_item == 'Done':
        break

    shopping_list.append(new_item)
    print("Added! List has {} items.".format(len(shopping_list))) #added paren (chris' answer)
    #removed continue at this line

print("Here's your list:")

for item in shopping_list:
    print(item)