syntaxerror: "unexpected character after line continuation character in python" math

Question

I am having problems with this Python program I am creating to do maths, working out and so solutions but I'm getting the syntaxerror: "unexpected character after line continuation character in python"

this is my code

print("Length between sides: "+str((length*length)*2.6)+" \ 1.5 = "+str(((length*length)*2.6)\1.5)+" Units")

My problem is with \1.5 I have tried \1.5 but it doesn't work

Using python 2.7.2

Solution 1

The division operator is /, not \

Solution 2

The backslash \ is the line continuation character the error message is talking about, and after it, only newline characters/whitespace are allowed (before the next non-whitespace continues the "interrupted" line.

print "This is a very long string that doesn't fit" + \
      "on a single line"

Outside of a string, a backslash can only appear in this way. For division, you want a slash: /.

If you want to write a verbatim backslash in a string, escape it by doubling it: "\\"

In your code, you're using it twice:

 print("Length between sides: " + str((length*length)*2.6) +
       " \ 1.5 = " +                   # inside a string; treated as literal
       str(((length*length)*2.6)\1.5)+ # outside a string, treated as line cont
                                       # character, but no newline follows -> Fail
       " Units")

Solution 3

You must press enter after continuation character

Note: Space after continuation character leads to error

cost = {"apples": [3.5, 2.4, 2.3], "bananas": [1.2, 1.8]}

0.9 * average(cost["apples"]) + \ """enter here"""
0.1 * average(cost["bananas"])

Solution 4

The division operator is / rather than \.

Also, the backslash has a special meaning inside a Python string. Either escape it with another backslash:

"\\ 1.5 = "`

or use a raw string

r" \ 1.5 = "

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Comments

[Arcticfoxx]

I switched to using *0.666666667 then I saw this...I might just stick to what I have written now.

[Stats_Lover]

Wow - this little nugget of information - spent a lot of time trying to figure out why the code wasn't working; didn't know about "pressing enter immediately after the line continuation character" thanks a ton!