How to run multiple lines using python -c

Question

I need to use python -c to remotely run some code, it works when I use:

python -c "a=4;print a"
4

Or

python -c "if True:print 'ye'"

But python -c "a=4;if a<5:print 'ye'" will generate an error:

File "<string>", line 1
    a=4;if a<5:print 'ye'
    SyntaxError: invalid syntax

What should I do to make it work, any advice?

icktoofay · Accepted Answer · 2015-04-24 05:32:34Z

9

Enclose it in single quotes and use multiple lines:

python -c '
a = 4
if a < 5:
    print "ye"
'

If you need a single quote in the code, use this horrible construct:

python -c '
a = 4
if a < 5:
    print '\''ye'\''
'

This works because most UNIX shells will not interpret anything between single quotes—so we have some Python code right up until where we need a single quote. Since it’s completely uninterpreted, we can’t just escape the quote; rather, we end the quotation, then insert a literal quotation mark (escaped, so it won’t be interpreted as the start of a new quote), and finally another quote to put us back into the uninterpreted-string state. It’s a little ugly, but it works.

edited Apr 24, 2015 at 5:32

answered May 13, 2013 at 1:41

icktoofay

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7 Comments

timss Over a year ago

Also note that this isn't specific for Python or python -c in any way, and will work for git commit -m and lots of other commands aswell.

mario.hsu Over a year ago

thanks for this quick answer,but I'm using a tool which doesn't accept line change (Enter key), that means I have to use command formed [python -c 'line1;line2;line3......' ], do you have solution for this ?

icktoofay Over a year ago

@mario.hsu: You can use this even more horrible construct: python -c 'a = 4'$'\n''if a < 5:'$'\n'' print "ye"'

mario.hsu Over a year ago

horrible but useful ,thanks ,but it needs to be changed a little bit python -c 'a = 4'$'\n''if a < 5:'$'\n\t'' print "ye"'

icktoofay Over a year ago

@mario.hsu: I actually had four spaces indenting the print but Stack Overflow collapsed it into one space. Pretend that there were four spaces there and it should work.

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