Python error EOL while scanning: Get down to the root cause

At Bobcares, we offer solutions for every query, big and small, as a part of our Server Management Service.

Let’s take a look at how our Support Team recently helped a customer with Python error EOL while scanning.

What is Python error EOL while scanning

The Python interpreter is responsible for scanning each line of code Each time it comes across anything out of the ordinary, it raises a Syntax error. For instance, these errors may be due to a missing end quote, a missing bracket, and other basic errors in the syntax.

EOL, also known as End of Line, indicates that the Python interpreter reached the end of the line while attempting to scan a string literal.

According to our Support Team, string literals have to be within single and double quotation marks.

For instance:

# String value
s = "This is a string literal...


# Printing the string
print(s)

Running the code will result in the following output:

  File "EOL.py", line 2
    s = "This is a string literal...
                                   ^
SyntaxError: EOL while scanning string literal

The “^” symbol points to the last character of the string. This indicates that the error is due to that particular component.

How to fix Python error EOL while scanning

The “Syntax Error: EOL while scanning string literal” error arises in four different scenarios as seen below:

• Missing an ending quotation mark is missing
• Incorrect ending quotation mark
• Stretching string constant to multiple lines
• Backslash before an ending quotation mark

Missing an ending quotation mark

If the quotation mark is missing at the end of the string literal, the Python interpreter will return an EOL error. We can resolve this issue easily by ensuring the end quotation marks are in place.

Incorrect ending quotation mark

Python permits ‘ ‘ and “” in order to enclose string constants. When we use the incorrect counterpart of the quotation marks, we will end up with an EOL error. Our Support Techs recommend ensuring the beginning and ending quotation marks match up to avoid this error.

Stretching string constant to multiple lines

Another common error that results in the EOL error is stretching the string constant across multiple lines.

For instance:

s = "This is a string literal...
          Going to the next line"


# Printing the string
print(s)

In the above example, the Python interpreter will raise an error for not enclosing the string constant. This can be avoided by opting for any of the following solutions:

• Option 1: We can use the escape sequence, ‘\n’ to add a new line to the string constant, rather than stretching it out across multiple lines.
• Option 2: Another option would be to use triple quotation marks, ‘’’ or “”” in order to store multi-line string literals.

Backslash before an ending quotation mark

Another commonly seen cause behind the EOL syntax error is the backslash. If it is used at the end of the string constant, the Python interpreter considers \” as a single character. Furthermore, it translates to a quotation mark.

Our Support Techs recommend using an escape sequence to resolve this error. For instance, we have to replace \ by \\ to avoid incurring the syntax error as seen below:

s = "\\home\\User\\Desktop\\"


# Printing the string
print(s)

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Conclusion

In summary, the skilled Support Engineers at Bobcares demonstrated how to deal with Python error EOL while scanning.