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Python Python Basics (Retired) Things That Count Exceptions

Posted by Sean Larsgard
Sean Larsgard
472 Points

Invalid Syntax

This is my code:

user_string = input("What's your word? ")
user_num = input("What's your number? ")

try:
  our_num - int(user_num)
except:
  our_num = float(user_num)

if not "." in user_num:
  print(user_string[our_num])
else:
  ratio = round(len(user_string) * our_num)
  print(user_string[ratio])

#When I run it I get the following syntax error message:

File "percent_letter,py", line 9
   if not '.' in user num:

SyntaxError: invalid syntax

If changed the "." to '.' and get the same error. I've also copied and pasted code from other posts and get the same error.

Please help!! :(

1 Answer

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

If user_num is a string, if '.' not in user_num: and if not '.' in user_num: both work.

There appears to be a typo: "-" where a "=" should be:

try:
  our_num = int(user_num) # <-- replaced - with =
except:
  our_num = float(user_num)