Jim Mooney <cybervigila...@gmail.com> writes: > If join returns a string, why am I getting a syntax error when I try to > slice it? > > >>> 'alfabeta'[2:5] > 'fab' > >>> ''.join(['a', 'l', 'f', 'a', 'b', 'e', 't', 'a')[2:5] > SyntaxError: invalid syntax
This demonstrates the primary problem with so-called “chaining”. Your statement is too complex, and you have misunderstood where in that statement the error is. Break the statement into at least two: get the result of the ‘join’, and then in the next statement slice that value. You'll see where the error was. One important principle to follow is to write your statements to be very simple, so that when something goes wrong it is as easy as possible to read the statement and understand what it *actually* says. Chaining long strings of operations together in a single statement goes directly against that principle, and hence is to be avoided. -- \ “[T]he speed of response of the internet will re-introduce us | `\ to that from which our political systems have separated us for | _o__) so long, the consequences of our own actions.” —Douglas Adams | Ben Finney _______________________________________________ Tutor maillist - Tutor@python.org To unsubscribe or change subscription options: https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/tutor
