invalid syntax: importing Modules in python [closed]

Question

>>> import 23
SyntaxError: invalid syntax
>>>

I am learning Python and working on modules. I created a module and wanted to import it:

import 23

However, IDLE gave me an error:

SyntaxError: invalid syntax

Why am I getting this error and how can I fix it?

possible duplicate of Solving the invalid name for Python module warning in PyDev — Ashwini Chaudhary
– Ashwini Chaudhary, Commented Jun 3, 2013 at 5:43

Community · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-23 12:32:05Z

6

That's an invalid module name in Python - module names must start with a letter or underscore.

Rename your module file to something else like module23.py and try importing that.

UPDATE: As pointed out in a related answer by user ThiefMaster, the actual rule for a Python module name comes from the syntax grammar for a Python import statement. The rules of interest in this case are

import_stmt     ::=  "import" module ["as" name] ( "," module ["as" name] )*
                     | "from" relative_module "import" identifier ["as" name]
                     ( "," identifier ["as" name] )*
                     | "from" relative_module "import" "(" identifier ["as" name]
                     ( "," identifier ["as" name] )* [","] ")"
                     | "from" module "import" "*"
module          ::=  (identifier ".")* identifier
identifier ::=  (letter|"_") (letter | digit | "_")*

Tracing down through the parse tree we see that a module name is an identifier which must start with an underscore or letter and be followed by zero of more letters, digits or underscores.

edited May 23, 2017 at 12:32

CommunityBot

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answered Jun 3, 2013 at 5:35

user849425

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4 Comments

shadesofpurplegreen Over a year ago

Traceback (most recent call last): File "<pyshell#1>", line 1, in <module> import hello ImportError: No module named hello >>> I am getting this error message although it exists. Why is it occuring?

user849425 Over a year ago

@user2446640 Does the corresponding hello.py module file exist? Are you in the same directory as the module you're trying to import and/or is the module directory included in your PYTHONPATH?

shadesofpurplegreen Over a year ago

How to include the module directory in the PYTHONPATH? Yes hello.py exists. Is it necessary to be in the same directory to include the module? Can you please show the syntax!

user849425 Over a year ago

@user2446640 This is only tangentially related to your original question of "Why doesn't import 23 work?" I'd recommend you open up another question for your new problem to keep the comments/answers threads separate.

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