Loading…
23
Spent 3 hours fixing a single missing semicolon in my first Python script
I was following a basic tutorial to make a simple calculator. The code looked perfect to me, but it just wouldn't run. The error message kept saying 'invalid syntax' and pointing to a blank line. I checked the logic, rewrote the functions, and even restarted my computer. After what felt like forever, I finally spotted it. On line 17, after a print statement, I had forgotten to type the semicolon. That tiny piece of punctuation wasted my entire evening. It's crazy how one character can break everything. I guess that's the first real lesson in paying attention to details. Has anyone else lost a bunch of time to something that simple?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
beth_anderson6mo ago
Oh man, that is the worst feeling. I read this article once about how our brains just skip over tiny mistakes like that because we see what we expect to see. It's like a mental blind spot. Makes those missing brackets or commas absolute killers. Honestly, that three hour hunt is a rite of passage, though. You'll probably never forget a semicolon again after that.
5
the_linda6mo ago
What was the article called? I'd love to read it.
3