Python: syntax error when reading from file

Question

I'm reading data from a file. Most of the data in the data file will be read in and written out to an output file without modification. However, in places the data is separated by a blank line, which precedes 5 other useless lines. Here is my code:

#Now loop over the entire file
while True:
testline = infile.readline()
if len(testline) ==0:
    break # EOF
elseif testline == '\n':
    for i in range(0,5)
        testline = infile.readline()
else:
    outfile.write(testline)

I get the following error that has me stumped:

File "convert.py", line 31
elseif testline == '\n':
              ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax

Any thoughts? I can't figure out what is wrong with my elseif statement.

There is no elseif in Python. You want elif.

g.d.d.c
– g.d.d.c

2012-01-12 00:17:53 +00:00
Commented Jan 12, 2012 at 0:17 — g.d.d.c
– g.d.d.c, Commented Jan 12, 2012 at 0:17

Yuushi · Accepted Answer · 2012-01-12 00:17:59Z

9

It isn't elseif in python, it's elif.

answered Jan 12, 2012 at 0:17

Yuushi

26.3k7 gold badges66 silver badges84 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

Comments

kindall · Accepted Answer · 2012-01-12 00:23:17Z

5

Others have pointed out it's elif. Also, you're missing a colon at the end of your for statement, and Python will probably complain about the following line. So now you don't have to come back and ask a separate question for that. :-)

If you just want to iterate over the lines in a file, though, a better way to do this is:

for testline in testfile:
   # do stuff with the line

You don't have to check for the end-of-file that way because the loop automatically ends when you reach the end of the file.

answered Jan 12, 2012 at 0:23

kindall

185k36 gold badges291 silver badges321 bronze badges

1 Comment

Aurora Over a year ago

While the rest of the answers provided answer your question explicitly, kindall here is right, you should really follow his approach.

Aurora · Accepted Answer · 2012-01-12 00:19:26Z

2

It isn't 'elseif' it is 'elif' that you are looking for.

Furthermore there is another typo at the end of your for loop for i in range(0,5) it needs a : at the end there.

answered Jan 12, 2012 at 0:19

Aurora

4,4143 gold badges36 silver badges44 bronze badges

Comments

John Machin · Accepted Answer · 2012-01-12 00:18:18Z

1

You could always try changing elseif to elif

And your indentation is stuffed from the 2nd line onwards

answered Jan 12, 2012 at 0:18

John Machin

83.2k12 gold badges147 silver badges193 bronze badges

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Python: syntax error when reading from file

4 Answers 4

Comments

1 Comment

Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

4 Answers 4

Comments

1 Comment

Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related