Running program in Python [ActiveState Python on Windows]

Question

I just started learning python and was writing programs in Python GUI Shell IDLE. The code is the following:

>>> def buildConnectionString(params):
    """Build a connection string from a dictionary of parameters.
    Returns string. """
    return ";".join(["%s=%s" % (k,v) for k,v in params.items()])
    if __name__ == "__main__":
        myParams = {"server":"mpligrim",\
                "database":"master",\
                "uid":"sa",\
                "pwd":"secret"
                }
        print(buildConnectionString(myParams))

I am facing a problem while I I try to run this program. In IDLE, when I click on Run Module, a new windows opens up saying "Invalid Syntax" Here's the screenshot:

I am not able to find how to run this and would appreciate the help in proceeding further with this.

Link: http://i.imgur.com/UzAfY.png

Answer 1

Move the if __name__ == "__main__": back by four spaces; your spacing in IDLE is different from that which you've copied and pasted here, the code works fine:

def buildConnectionString(params):
    """Build a connection string from a dictionary of parameters.
    Returns string. """
    return ";".join(["%s=%s" % (k,v) for k,v in params.items()])

if __name__ == "__main__":
    myParams = {"server":"mpligrim",\
        "database":"master",\
        "uid":"sa",\
        "pwd":"secret" }

    print(buildConnectionString(myParams))

Open up a new window in idle and create this as a .py script. Then press F5 to execute, or go to run -> run module

Answer 2

It looks like you've copied the header output from a shell window into your module window: You don't want your file to look like this:

Python 2.7.1 (r271:86832, Nov 27 2010, 18:30:46) [MSC v.1500 32 bit (Intel)] on win32
Type "copyright", "credits" or "license()" for more information.
>>> print "Hello World"

You just want this:

print "Hello World"

Delete all that other stuff.