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Python - KS3 Troubleshooting Guide

A small guide designed to help Key Stage 3 students identify some of the simple errors that they have made within their Python 3 program code.

Uploaded by

Robert Daniels
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
233 views

Python - KS3 Troubleshooting Guide

A small guide designed to help Key Stage 3 students identify some of the simple errors that they have made within their Python 3 program code.

Uploaded by

Robert Daniels
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Troubleshooting my Code Guide

If you are looking at this then you have obviously encountered some errors when running your code in the
Python Shell. Below are a list of the most common errors and the cause of them.
This guide should be able to help you identify where about in your code you have made an error and should
give you enough information to be able to correct your code so that it works!
Your error message will normally print out in the Python Shell in RED writing. The error message might contain
a section that says on which line of the code the error is located. These errors look something like this:

As you can see on the second line of the error it says


File<pyshell#1>, line 1
This is referring to line 1 of your code. You can see which line of your code your cursor is
currently on in the design view of Python IDLE by looking in the bottom right hand corner of
the window.
Most common errors you will occur - Syntax Errors
These errors occur when there is some form of mistake in the language used within the code.
Just like we wouldnt spell Horse with a bracket in the middle [Hor(se], Python expects you to
follow its language rules as well.
The following things will bring up Syntax Errors in Python:
(Syntax Error) - Brackets opened and not closed. E.g.

In this example to ensure that the code works correcty we would need to add a closing
bracket.
(Syntax Error) - Quotations opened and not closed. E.g.
In this example to ensure that the code works correctly we would need to add some
closing quotation marks before we close our bracket.
(Syntax Error) - Incorrectly names Variables. E.g.

or
In this example we have not followed the naming rules or Variables & Constants. We
CANNOT start a variable/constant name with a number and we cannot have
variables/constants with spaces in the middle. We can use number just not as the first
letter of the name.
(Syntax Error) - Missing Python Punctuation. E.g.

Missing Colon ( )

If we use a Flow Controller (if, else, while etc.) then after we have stated our specified
criteria (in this example, if number1 > number 2) then we must end that line of code
with a colon:.
(Syntax Error) - Incorrect indentation. E.g.

We have not indented here


when we should have!

If we use a Flow Controller (if, else, while etc.) then we must indent all of the code that
happens Inside of that flow control so in this example we should have indented the
line of code that starts with the word print.
(Traceback Error) Calling on un-named variables. E.g.

If we try using a Variable or a Constant that we have not defined in our code then we
will receive this error, we must then go back and either declare (create it/give it a name)
this variable or correct our misspelled variable/constant.
There are many other errors that you will occur in Python but the most likely errors you will occur from
copying your code are contained above. If you have tried to fix your code and you are still not having
any luck then ask the person sitting next to you to see if they have managed to make their code work.

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