I spent 3 hours trying to get my first Python script to run because I forgot a colon

When I first started learning Python about six months ago, I thought I had a simple script ready. I typed out a few lines to print a message and ask for a name. I hit run and got a red error message I didn't understand. I spent the next three hours checking everything, from my spelling to the software install. I even restarted my computer twice. The problem was just a missing colon at the end of an 'if' statement. I was looking for a big, complex bug, but it was a tiny punctuation mark. That moment taught me to always check the small stuff first when code breaks. Has anyone else lost a big chunk of time to a tiny syntax error like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

stone.troy4d ago

I used to think those errors were a big deal... but now I just expect them and check the basics first.

iris_dixon914d ago

Actually, that was six months ago.