Syntax Error: EOL while scanning string literal

In Python, working with strings may result in errors that prevent the code to process that string. One such error is “SyntaxError: EOL while scanning string literal”, which means that Python reached the end of the line before finding a valid string literal. There are various reasons, i.e., missing quotation marks, using inappropriate quotation marks, etc. 

This post provides various reasons and solutions for this “SyntaxError” using the below contents:

Reason 1: Missing Quotation Marks at the End of String

The main reason which provokes this error in Python is missing quotation marks at the closing/ending side of the string. The below snippet displays this error:

Solution: Close String Using Quotation Marks

To rectify this error, we need to close the string with quotation marks. Here is an example code that will resolve the error generated in the previous snippet:

Code: 

string_value = 'Python Guide'
print(string_value)

The string value “Python Guide” is enclosed inside the single quotation marks.

Output:

The string has been initialized without any error.

Reason 2: Using Single or Double Quotes For Multiple Line Strings

This SyntaxError also appears when we use single or double quotes for multiple line strings. The error displays in the below snippet:

Solution: Use Triple Quotes For Multiple Lines

To rectify this error, you need to use “Triple” quotes to represent multiple line strings. Here is an example code:

Code: 

string_value = '''Python Guide
Linux Guide
Java Guide'''
print(string_value)

The multiple line string named “string_value” is initialized in the program.

Output:

The multiple-line string has been displayed.

Reason 3: Using Mismatching Quotation Marks

The mismatching quotation marks also cause the string literal SyntaxError in Python. The below snippet shows the error occurred due to this specific reason:

Solution: Use Correct Matching Quotation Marks

To rectify this typical error, you need to use correct matching quotation marks. For instance, if the string is initialized by starting with double quotation marks then it must be enclosed with double quotation marks. For further understanding, let’s have look at the below code:

Code:

string_value = "Python"
print(string_value)

The string value “Python” is enclosed inside the double quotation marks.

Output:

The string has been created successfully.

Reason 4: Adding Backslash Before the Ending Quotation mark

The error also occurs when the backslash is used before the ending of string quotation marks. This error normally happens when the path of any file or directory is defined to the variable. The below snippet shows this error:

Solution: Use Escape Sequence Character For a Backslash (\\)

To rectify this error you need to use escape character “\\” double backslash instead of single backslash. For instance, let’s have a look at the below code:

Code:

string_value = '\\home\\pc\\user\\program\\Python\\'
print(string_value)

The string uses the specific escape character “\\” to initialize the string.

Output:

The string has been displayed.

Conclusion

This “SyntaxError” occurs in Python due to various reasons such as missing quotations at the end, using single or double quotes for multiple line strings, etc. To resolve this error multiple solutions are used such as closing string using quotation marks, using triple quotes for multiple lines, using escape sequence characters, etc. 

This guide has presented various reasons and solutions to rectify the “SyntaxError: EOL while scanning string literal” in Python.