Quick python question about the exec command. I'm have Python 2.7.6 and am trying to make use of the exec to run some code stored in a .txt file. I've run into a syntax error and am not entirely sure what is causing it. Traceback (most recent call last): File "/Users/XYZ/Desktop/parser.py", line 46, in <module> try_code(block) File "<string>", line 1 x = 'Hello World!' ^ SyntaxError: invalid syntax I initially thought it was complaining about carriage returns, but when I tried to edit them .replace them with ' ' I still received this error message. I've tried variations to see what appears to be the issue and it always declares the error as the first ' or " the program encounters when it runs exec. Here is the try_code(block) method def try_code(block): exec block And the main body of the program inputFile = open('/Users/XYZ/Desktop/test.txt', 'r+') starter = False finished = False check = 1 block = "" for val in inputFile: starter = lookForStart(val) finished = lookForEnd(val) if lookForStart: check = 1 elif finished: try_code(block) if check == 1: check = 0 elif finished == False: block = block + val Basically I'm trying to import a file (test.txt) and then look for some embedded code in it. To make it easier I surrounded it with indicators, thus starter and finished. Then I concatenate all the hidden code into one string and call try_code on it. Then try_code attempts to execute it (it does make it there, check with print statements) and fails with the Syntax error. As a note it works fine if I have hidden something like... x = 5 print x so whatever the problem is appears to be dealing with strings for some reason. EDIT It would appear that textedit includes some extra characters that aren't displayed normally. I rewrote the test file in a different text editor (text wrangler) and it would seem that the characters have disappeared. Thank you all very much for helping me solve my problem, I appreciate it. Continue reading...
