Python print syntax error rasberry pi

Question

I am setting up my raspberry pi with a motion sensor. I am using some simple code python code from modmypie. I run the code from the terminal window, but getting SyntaxError: invalid syntax on print (“Motion Detected!”). This is such a simple line, but can't figure out what the issue is.

# coding: utf-8    

import RPi.GPIO as GPIO

import time

GPIO.setmode(GPIO.BCM)

PIR_PIN = 7

GPIO.setup(PIR_PIN, GPIO.IN)

def MOTION(PIR_PIN):

     print “Motion Detected!”

print “PIR Module Test (CTRL+C to exit)”

time.sleep(2)

print “Ready”

try:

    GPIO.add_event_detect(PIR_PIN, GPIO.RISING, callback=MOTION)

    while 1:

       time.sleep(100)

except KeyboardInterrupt:

    print “ Quit”

    GPIO.cleanup()

Wait... you say, the exception is raised on print (“Motion Detected!”), but your code says print “Motion Detected!”. Your question is tagged with Python 2.7, but my RP runs on Python 3... you may check this and switch the interpreter, if necessary. — TidB
– TidB, Commented Sep 7, 2014 at 18:56

Michael0x2a · Accepted Answer · 2014-09-07 19:07:57Z

5

It might perhaps be because of the quotation marks you're using.

Looking at the code, it looks like you're using unicode quotation marks. Specifically, you're using unicode characters 0x201C and 0x201D -- "left double quotation mark" and "right double quotation mark".

“  ”

Instead, you should be using normal ASCII quotation marks, which has the ASCII/Unicode code of 0x22:

"  "

How are you writing your code? If you're using some kind of word processing software (Microsoft Word, Libreoffice) to write your code, they'll often autocorrect regular quotation marks into the fancy unicode ones. Many websites and blogging platforms will also do the same thing since the regular quotes are better typography and are usually what the author wants (as long as they aren't a programmer!)

If you use a regular text editor (notepad, Sublime Text, etc), you shouldn't run into this issue.

Alternatively, you might perhaps be confusing together Python 2 and Python 3.

If you're running Python 2, your print statements should look like:

print "Text"

If you're running Python 3, your print statements should look like:

print("Text")

You can check which version you have by running python --version from the command line.

edited Sep 7, 2014 at 19:07

answered Sep 7, 2014 at 18:57

Michael0x2a

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1 Comment

user2242044 Over a year ago

That worked! I had copied and pasted the code from a website.

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