Syntaxerror cannot assign to operator ошибка

def RandomString (length,distribution):
    string = ""
    for t in distribution:
        ((t[1])/length) * t[1] += string
    return shuffle (string)

This returns a syntax error as described in the title. In this example, distribution is a list of tuples, with each tuple containing a letter, and its distribution, with all the distributions from the list adding up to 100, for example:

[("a",50),("b",20),("c",30)] 

And length is the length of the string that you want.

wjandrea's user avatar

wjandrea

27.2k9 gold badges59 silver badges80 bronze badges

asked Jan 21, 2012 at 21:25

TheFoxx's user avatar

Make sure the variable does not have a hyphen (-).

Hyphens are not allowed in variable names in Python and are used as subtraction operators.

Example:

my-variable = 5   # would result in 'SyntaxError: can't assign to operator'

answered Nov 6, 2019 at 13:59

Anupam's user avatar

AnupamAnupam

14.9k19 gold badges66 silver badges94 bronze badges

0

Python is upset because you are attempting to assign a value to something that can’t be assigned a value.

((t[1])/length) * t[1] += string

When you use an assignment operator, you assign the value of what is on the right to the variable or element on the left. In your case, there is no variable or element on the left, but instead an interpreted value: you are trying to assign a value to something that isn’t a «container».

Based on what you’ve written, you’re just misunderstanding how this operator works. Just switch your operands, like so.

string += str(((t[1])/length) * t[1])

Note that I’ve wrapped the assigned value in str in order to convert it into a str so that it is compatible with the string variable it is being assigned to. (Numbers and strings can’t be added together.)

answered Jan 21, 2012 at 21:31

cheeken's user avatar

cheekencheeken

33.6k4 gold badges35 silver badges42 bronze badges

2

Instead of ((t[1])/length) * t[1] += string, you should use string += ((t[1])/length) * t[1]. (The other syntax issue — int is not iterable — will be your exercise to figure out.)

answered Jan 21, 2012 at 21:31

Makoto's user avatar

MakotoMakoto

104k27 gold badges188 silver badges228 bronze badges

2

Well, as the error says, you have an expression (((t[1])/length) * t[1]) on the left side of the assignment, rather than a variable name. You have that expression, and then you tell Python to add string to it (which is always "") and assign it to… where? ((t[1])/length) * t[1] isn’t a variable name, so you can’t store the result into it.

Did you mean string += ((t[1])/length) * t[1]? That would make more sense. Of course, you’re still trying to add a number to a string, or multiply by a string… one of those t[1]s should probably be a t[0].

answered Jan 21, 2012 at 21:32

kindall's user avatar

kindallkindall

178k35 gold badges274 silver badges305 bronze badges

1

What do you think this is supposed to be: ((t[1])/length) * t[1] += string

Python can’t parse this, it’s a syntax error.

answered Jan 21, 2012 at 21:31

Marcin's user avatar

MarcinMarcin

48.2k18 gold badges127 silver badges200 bronze badges

2

in python only work

a=4
b=3

i=a+b

which i is new operator

Liam's user avatar

Liam

27.3k28 gold badges125 silver badges187 bronze badges

answered Aug 12, 2016 at 8:01

Chang Federico's user avatar

We can assign the result of a mathematical calculation to a variable, but we can not assign a value to a mathematical expression. While assigning a value to a variable in

Python

, we write the variable name on the left side of the assignment operator «=» and the mathematical computational expression on the right side. But if we try to switch it around, we will encounter the error

SyntaxError: cannot assign to operator

.

This Python guide will discuss the above error and how to solve it. Also, we shall go through an example demonstrating this error, so you can learn how to solve it yourself.

So let’s get started.

According to the syntax defined by Python, when we want to assign a computational mathematical value to a variable, we need to write the variable on the left side and the mathematical computation on the right side of the assignment operator «=». In simple terms, You must write a mathematical expression on the right side and a variable on the left.


Example

x = 20 + 30
print(a)     #50

The above example is the correct syntax to assign a mathematical computational value to a variable x. When the Python interpreter reads the above code, it assigns

20+30

, i.e., 50 to the variable

x

.

But if we switch the position of the mathematical computation and variable, we encounter the

SyntaxError: cannot assign to operator

Error.


Example

20 + 30 = a    # SyntaxError: cannot assign to operator print(a)

The error statement

SyntaxError: cannot assign to operator

has two parts.

  1. SyntaxError (Exception type)
  2. cannot assign to the operator (Error Message)


1. SyntaxError

SyntaxError is a standard Python exception. It occurs when we violate the syntax defined for a Python statement.


2. cannot assign to operator

«cannot assign to operator» is an error message. The Python interpreter raises this error message with the SyntaxErorr exception when we try to perform the arithmetic operation on the left side of the assignment operator. Python cannot assign the value on the right side to the mathematical computation on the left side.


Common Example Scenario

Now, you know the reason why this error occurs. Let us now understand this through a simple example.


Example

Let’s say we have a list

prices

that contains the original prices of the different products. We need to write a program that discounts 10 rupees from every product price and adds a 2 rupee profit to every price.

discount = 10
profit = 2

prices = [7382, 3623, 9000,3253,9263,9836]


for i in range(len(prices)):
    # discount 10 and profit 2
    prices[i] + (profit - discount) = prices[i]

print(prices)


Output

  File "main.py", line 9
    prices[i] + (profit - discount) = prices[i]
    ^
SyntaxError: cannot assign to operator


Break the code

In the above example, we get the error

SyntaxError: cannot assign to operator

because the variable to which we want to assign the value »

prices[i]

» is on the right side of the assignment operator, and the value that we want to assign

prices[i] + (profit - discount)

is on the left side.


Solution

When we want to assign a mathematical or arithmetic result to a variable in Python, we should always write the variable on the left side of the assignment operator and the mathematical computational value on the right side. To solve the above example error, we need to ensure that the

prices[i]

must be on the left side of the assignment operator.

discount = 10
profit = 2

prices = [7382, 3623, 9000,3253,9263,9836]


for i in range(len(prices)):
    # discount 10 and profit 2
    prices[i] = prices[i] + (profit - discount)
print(prices)


Output

[7374, 3615, 8992, 3245, 9255, 9828]


Conclusion

When we try to assign a value to a mathematical computational statement, the » SyntaxError: cannot assign to operator» error is raised in a Python program. This means if you write the mathematical computational expression on the assignment operator’s left side, you will encounter this error. To debug or fix this error, you need to ensure that the variable or variables you write on the left side of the assignment operator do not have an arithmetic operator between them.

If you still get this error in your Python program, you can share your code and query in the comment section. We will try to help you with debugging.

Happy Coding!


People are also reading:

  • Python TypeError: ‘float’ object cannot be interpreted as an integer Solution

  • How to check the size of a file using Python?

  • Python TypeError: ‘NoneType’ object is not callable Solution

  • What is a constructor in Python?

  • Python typeerror: ‘int’ object is not subscriptable Solution

  • Difference Between Del, Remove and Pop on Python Lists

  • Python TypeError: ‘NoneType’ object is not subscriptable Solution

  • How to Build a Port Vulnerability Scanner in Python?

  • Python TypeError: object of type ‘int’ has no len() Solution

  • How to print colored Python output on the terminal?

In Python, the SyntaxError: can't assign to operator error occurs when you try to assign a value to an operator that cannot be assigned to. This error can be confusing, but it is easy to fix once you understand what is causing it.

fix syntaxerror can't assign to operator error in python

Understanding the SyntaxError: can't assign to operator error

The SyntaxError: can't assign to operator error occurs when you try to assign a value to an operator that cannot be assigned to. Here are some common scenarios in which this error occurs:

  • Trying to assign a value to a comparison operator (e.g. ==, !=, <, >, <=, >=)
  • Trying to assign a value to a logical operator (e.g. and, or, not)
  • Trying to assign a value to a mathematical operator (e.g. +, -, *, /, %, //, **)

How to fix the error?

To fix this error, you need to make sure that you are not trying to assign a value to an operator that cannot be assigned to. Here are the steps to fix this error:

  1. Check the line number where the error occurred.
  2. Identify the operator that is causing the error.
  3. Make sure that you are not trying to assign a value to the operator.
  4. If you need to assign a value to a variable, create a new variable and assign the value to it.

Examples

Let’s now look at some examples of the scenarios in which this error can error and how can we fix it.

Example 1: Trying to assign a value to a comparison operator

x == 5 = True

Output:

  Cell In[5], line 1
    x == 5 = True
    ^
SyntaxError: cannot assign to comparison

Here, we’re trying to assign a value to a comparison operator and thus we get a SyntaxError: can't assign to comparison error. If you intended to assign the result of a comparison operator, create a new variable and assign the resulting value to it.

x = 5
result = x == 5

We do not get an error now.

Example 2: Trying to assign a value to a logical operator

not x = True

Output:

  Cell In[7], line 1
    not x = True
    ^
SyntaxError: cannot assign to operator

This code gives a SyntaxError: can't assign to operator error because you cannot assign a value to a logical operator. To fix this error, you need to create a new variable and assign the value to it:

x = False
result = not x

Example 3: Trying to assign a value to a mathematical operator

x + y = 10

Output:

  Cell In[9], line 1
    x + y = 10
    ^
SyntaxError: cannot assign to operator

We get a SyntaxError: can't assign to operator error because you cannot assign a value to a mathematical operator. To fix this error, you need to create a new variable and assign the value to it:

x = 5
y = 5
result = x + y

Conclusion

The SyntaxError: can't assign to operator error occurs when you try to assign a value to an operator that cannot be assigned to. To fix this error, you need to make sure that you are not trying to assign a value to the operator. If you need to assign a value to a variable, create a new variable and assign the value to it.

You might also be interested in –

  • How to Fix – SyntaxError: can’t assign to function
  • How to Fix – SyntaxError: Missing parentheses in call to ‘print’
  • How to Fix – SyntaxError: return outside function
  • How to Fix – SyntaxError: EOL while scanning string literal
  • Piyush Raj

    Piyush is a data professional passionate about using data to understand things better and make informed decisions. He has experience working as a Data Scientist in the consulting domain and holds an engineering degree from IIT Roorkee. His hobbies include watching cricket, reading, and working on side projects.

    View all posts

You cannot assign the result of a calculation to a mathematical operator. If you perform a calculation before an assignment operator appears on a line of code, you’ll encounter the SyntaxError: cannot assign to operator error.

In this guide, we discuss what this error means and why you may run into it in your programs. We’ll walk through an example of this error so you can learn how to solve it in your code.

Get offers and scholarships from top coding schools illustration

Piyush is a data professional passionate about using data to understand things better and make informed decisions. He has experience working as a Data Scientist in the consulting domain and holds an engineering degree from IIT Roorkee. His hobbies include watching cricket, reading, and working on side projects.

View all posts

You cannot assign the result of a calculation to a mathematical operator. If you perform a calculation before an assignment operator appears on a line of code, you’ll encounter the SyntaxError: cannot assign to operator error.

In this guide, we discuss what this error means and why you may run into it in your programs. We’ll walk through an example of this error so you can learn how to solve it in your code.

Get offers and scholarships from top coding schools illustration

Find Your Bootcamp Match

  • Career Karma matches you with top tech bootcamps
  • Access exclusive scholarships and prep courses

Select your interest

First name

Last name

Email

Phone number

By continuing you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, and you consent to receive offers and opportunities from Career Karma by telephone, text message, and email.

SyntaxError: cannot assign to operator

The assignment operator (=) lets you set a value for a variable. Calculations can only appear on the right-hand side of the operator. Consider this line of code:

Our program sets the result of evaluating 1 * 3 to the variable “a”. We can now access the result of our calculation at any time in our program by referring to the value “a”.

The name of the variable to which we want to assign a value comes first. Then, we specify an equals sign. This equals sign denotes we want to assign a value to a variable. Following the equals sign, we specify a calculation.

If you want to assign the result of a sum to a variable, you must use this format. You should not try to evaluate a problem on the left side of an assignment operator.

An Example Scenario

We’re going to write a program that calculates the profits a cafe has made on the coffee orders placed in the last day. To start, let’s define a list. This list will contain all of the purchases customers have made on their range of coffees:

orders = [2.20, 2.40, 2.60, 2.40, 2.80]

We’re going to declare and assign a placeholder value to a variable called “profits” which tracks the cumulative profits made on all of the drinks:

For now, “profits” is equal to 0. To calculate the value of profits, we are going to subtract $2.00 from the cost of every coffee. This is approximately how much it costs to produce any coffee at the cafe. To do this, we’re going to use a for loop:

for o in orders:
	o - 2.00 += profits

This code iterates through all of the coffees in our list. We subtract $2.00 from the value of each coffee. We then use the addition assignment operator (+=) to add the value we calculate to the variable “profits”.

Finally, let’s print out a message to the console that informs us how much the cafe has earned in profit over the last day from their coffee sales:

print("The cafe has earned ${} in profit from coffee sales today.".format(profits))

Let’s run our code and see what happens:

  File "main.py", line 6
	o - 2.00 += profits
	^
SyntaxError: cannot assign to operator

Our code returns an error.

The Solution

We’ve tried to evaluate a sum before an assignment operator.

This is invalid syntax. We must specify a variable name, and then an assignment operator, followed by the sum we want to evaluate.

Python is programmed to interpret the statement before an assignment operator as a variable name. Written in English, Python tries to read our code as:

"Subtract 2.00 from the value "o". Consider this a variable name. Add the value of "profits" to the variable."

This doesn’t make sense. We want to subtract 2.00 from the value “o” and then add the result of our sum to the variable “profits”.

To fix this error, we need to swap around the “profits” and sum statements in our code:

Python will read this code as “Evaluate o – 2.00 and add the result of that sum to the “profits’ variable”. This is what we want our program to accomplish.

Let’s run our code:

The cafe has earned $2.4 in profit from coffee sales today.

Our program successfully calculates how much the cafe has earned in profit. The cafe, after subtracting 2.00 from the value of each order, has earned a profit of $2.40 in the last day from coffee sales.

Conclusion

The SyntaxError: cannot assign to operator error is raised when you try to evaluate a mathematical statement before an assignment operator.

To fix this error, make sure all your variable names appear on the left hand side of an assignment operator and all your mathematical statements appear on the right.

Now you have the knowledge you need to fix this error like a professional developer!

import math


def main():  
    loop=eval(input("How many times do you want to run the loop?" ))  
    x=eval(input("What number are you taking the square root of? "))  
    for i in range(loop):  
        x=guess  
        x/2=(guess+(x/guess))/2  
    print(guess)  

main()

Terry Jan Reedy's user avatar

asked Sep 29, 2013 at 19:45

user2829162's user avatar

3

Following line cause a syntax error:

x/2=(guess+(x/guess))/2 

Maybe typo of the following?

x = (guess+(x/guess))/2 

answered Sep 29, 2013 at 19:47

falsetru's user avatar

falsetrufalsetru

354k63 gold badges720 silver badges631 bronze badges

python – SyntaxError: cannot assign to operator

In case it helps someone, if your variables have hyphens in them, you may see this error since hyphens are not allowed in variable names in Python and are used as subtraction operators.

Example:

my-variable = 5   # would result in SyntaxError: cant assign to operator

Python is upset because you are attempting to assign a value to something that cant be assigned a value.

((t[1])/length) * t[1] += string

When you use an assignment operator, you assign the value of what is on the right to the variable or element on the left. In your case, there is no variable or element on the left, but instead an interpreted value: you are trying to assign a value to something that isnt a container.

Based on what youve written, youre just misunderstanding how this operator works. Just switch your operands, like so.

string += str(((t[1])/length) * t[1])

Note that Ive wrapped the assigned value in str in order to convert it into a str so that it is compatible with the string variable it is being assigned to. (Numbers and strings cant be added together.)

python – SyntaxError: cannot assign to operator

Well, as the error says, you have an expression (((t[1])/length) * t[1]) on the left side of the assignment, rather than a variable name. You have that expression, and then you tell Python to add string to it (which is always ) and assign it to… where? ((t[1])/length) * t[1] isnt a variable name, so you cant store the result into it.

Did you mean string += ((t[1])/length) * t[1]? That would make more sense. Of course, youre still trying to add a number to a string, or multiply by a string… one of those t[1]s should probably be a t[0].

def RandomString (length,distribution):
    string = ""
    for t in distribution:
        ((t[1])/length) * t[1] += string
    return shuffle (string)

This returns a syntax error as described in the title. In this example, distribution is a list of tuples, with each tuple containing a letter, and its distribution, with all the distributions from the list adding up to 100, for example:

[("a",50),("b",20),("c",30)] 

And length is the length of the string that you want.

wjandrea's user avatar

wjandrea

27.2k9 gold badges59 silver badges80 bronze badges

asked Jan 21, 2012 at 21:25

TheFoxx's user avatar

Make sure the variable does not have a hyphen (-).

Hyphens are not allowed in variable names in Python and are used as subtraction operators.

Example:

my-variable = 5   # would result in 'SyntaxError: can't assign to operator'

answered Nov 6, 2019 at 13:59

Anupam's user avatar

AnupamAnupam

14.8k19 gold badges66 silver badges93 bronze badges

0

Python is upset because you are attempting to assign a value to something that can’t be assigned a value.

((t[1])/length) * t[1] += string

When you use an assignment operator, you assign the value of what is on the right to the variable or element on the left. In your case, there is no variable or element on the left, but instead an interpreted value: you are trying to assign a value to something that isn’t a «container».

Based on what you’ve written, you’re just misunderstanding how this operator works. Just switch your operands, like so.

string += str(((t[1])/length) * t[1])

Note that I’ve wrapped the assigned value in str in order to convert it into a str so that it is compatible with the string variable it is being assigned to. (Numbers and strings can’t be added together.)

answered Jan 21, 2012 at 21:31

cheeken's user avatar

cheekencheeken

33.5k4 gold badges35 silver badges42 bronze badges

2

Instead of ((t[1])/length) * t[1] += string, you should use string += ((t[1])/length) * t[1]. (The other syntax issue — int is not iterable — will be your exercise to figure out.)

answered Jan 21, 2012 at 21:31

Makoto's user avatar

MakotoMakoto

104k27 gold badges188 silver badges228 bronze badges

2

Well, as the error says, you have an expression (((t[1])/length) * t[1]) on the left side of the assignment, rather than a variable name. You have that expression, and then you tell Python to add string to it (which is always "") and assign it to… where? ((t[1])/length) * t[1] isn’t a variable name, so you can’t store the result into it.

Did you mean string += ((t[1])/length) * t[1]? That would make more sense. Of course, you’re still trying to add a number to a string, or multiply by a string… one of those t[1]s should probably be a t[0].

answered Jan 21, 2012 at 21:32

kindall's user avatar

kindallkindall

178k35 gold badges274 silver badges305 bronze badges

1

What do you think this is supposed to be: ((t[1])/length) * t[1] += string

Python can’t parse this, it’s a syntax error.

answered Jan 21, 2012 at 21:31

Marcin's user avatar

MarcinMarcin

48.2k18 gold badges127 silver badges200 bronze badges

2

in python only work

a=4
b=3

i=a+b

which i is new operator

Liam's user avatar

Liam

27.2k28 gold badges125 silver badges187 bronze badges

answered Aug 12, 2016 at 8:01

Chang Federico's user avatar

We can assign the result of a mathematical calculation to a variable, but we can not assign a value to a mathematical expression. While assigning a value to a variable in

Python

, we write the variable name on the left side of the assignment operator «=» and the mathematical computational expression on the right side. But if we try to switch it around, we will encounter the error

SyntaxError: cannot assign to operator

.

This Python guide will discuss the above error and how to solve it. Also, we shall go through an example demonstrating this error, so you can learn how to solve it yourself.

So let’s get started.

According to the syntax defined by Python, when we want to assign a computational mathematical value to a variable, we need to write the variable on the left side and the mathematical computation on the right side of the assignment operator «=». In simple terms, You must write a mathematical expression on the right side and a variable on the left.


Example

x = 20 + 30
print(a)     #50

The above example is the correct syntax to assign a mathematical computational value to a variable x. When the Python interpreter reads the above code, it assigns

20+30

, i.e., 50 to the variable

x

.

But if we switch the position of the mathematical computation and variable, we encounter the

SyntaxError: cannot assign to operator

Error.


Example

20 + 30 = a    # SyntaxError: cannot assign to operator print(a)

The error statement

SyntaxError: cannot assign to operator

has two parts.

  1. SyntaxError (Exception type)
  2. cannot assign to the operator (Error Message)


1. SyntaxError

SyntaxError is a standard Python exception. It occurs when we violate the syntax defined for a Python statement.


2. cannot assign to operator

«cannot assign to operator» is an error message. The Python interpreter raises this error message with the SyntaxErorr exception when we try to perform the arithmetic operation on the left side of the assignment operator. Python cannot assign the value on the right side to the mathematical computation on the left side.


Common Example Scenario

Now, you know the reason why this error occurs. Let us now understand this through a simple example.


Example

Let’s say we have a list

prices

that contains the original prices of the different products. We need to write a program that discounts 10 rupees from every product price and adds a 2 rupee profit to every price.

discount = 10
profit = 2

prices = [7382, 3623, 9000,3253,9263,9836]


for i in range(len(prices)):
    # discount 10 and profit 2
    prices[i] + (profit - discount) = prices[i]

print(prices)


Output

  File "main.py", line 9
    prices[i] + (profit - discount) = prices[i]
    ^
SyntaxError: cannot assign to operator


Break the code

In the above example, we get the error

SyntaxError: cannot assign to operator

because the variable to which we want to assign the value »

prices[i]

» is on the right side of the assignment operator, and the value that we want to assign

prices[i] + (profit - discount)

is on the left side.


Solution

When we want to assign a mathematical or arithmetic result to a variable in Python, we should always write the variable on the left side of the assignment operator and the mathematical computational value on the right side. To solve the above example error, we need to ensure that the

prices[i]

must be on the left side of the assignment operator.

discount = 10
profit = 2

prices = [7382, 3623, 9000,3253,9263,9836]


for i in range(len(prices)):
    # discount 10 and profit 2
    prices[i] = prices[i] + (profit - discount)
print(prices)


Output

[7374, 3615, 8992, 3245, 9255, 9828]


Conclusion

When we try to assign a value to a mathematical computational statement, the » SyntaxError: cannot assign to operator» error is raised in a Python program. This means if you write the mathematical computational expression on the assignment operator’s left side, you will encounter this error. To debug or fix this error, you need to ensure that the variable or variables you write on the left side of the assignment operator do not have an arithmetic operator between them.

If you still get this error in your Python program, you can share your code and query in the comment section. We will try to help you with debugging.

Happy Coding!


People are also reading:

  • Python TypeError: ‘float’ object cannot be interpreted as an integer Solution

  • How to check the size of a file using Python?

  • Python TypeError: ‘NoneType’ object is not callable Solution

  • What is a constructor in Python?

  • Python typeerror: ‘int’ object is not subscriptable Solution

  • Difference Between Del, Remove and Pop on Python Lists

  • Python TypeError: ‘NoneType’ object is not subscriptable Solution

  • How to Build a Port Vulnerability Scanner in Python?

  • Python TypeError: object of type ‘int’ has no len() Solution

  • How to print colored Python output on the terminal?

In Python, the SyntaxError: can't assign to operator error occurs when you try to assign a value to an operator that cannot be assigned to. This error can be confusing, but it is easy to fix once you understand what is causing it.

Understanding the SyntaxError: can't assign to operator error

The SyntaxError: can't assign to operator error occurs when you try to assign a value to an operator that cannot be assigned to. Here are some common scenarios in which this error occurs:

  • Trying to assign a value to a comparison operator (e.g. ==, !=, <, >, <=, >=)
  • Trying to assign a value to a logical operator (e.g. and, or, not)
  • Trying to assign a value to a mathematical operator (e.g. +, -, *, /, %, //, **)

How to fix the error?

To fix this error, you need to make sure that you are not trying to assign a value to an operator that cannot be assigned to. Here are the steps to fix this error:

  1. Check the line number where the error occurred.
  2. Identify the operator that is causing the error.
  3. Make sure that you are not trying to assign a value to the operator.
  4. If you need to assign a value to a variable, create a new variable and assign the value to it.

Examples

Let’s now look at some examples of the scenarios in which this error can error and how can we fix it.

Example 1: Trying to assign a value to a comparison operator

x == 5 = True

Output:

  Cell In[5], line 1
    x == 5 = True
    ^
SyntaxError: cannot assign to comparison

Here, we’re trying to assign a value to a comparison operator and thus we get a SyntaxError: can't assign to comparison error. If you intended to assign the result of a comparison operator, create a new variable and assign the resulting value to it.

x = 5
result = x == 5

We do not get an error now.

Example 2: Trying to assign a value to a logical operator

not x = True

Output:

  Cell In[7], line 1
    not x = True
    ^
SyntaxError: cannot assign to operator

This code gives a SyntaxError: can't assign to operator error because you cannot assign a value to a logical operator. To fix this error, you need to create a new variable and assign the value to it:

x = False
result = not x

Example 3: Trying to assign a value to a mathematical operator

x + y = 10

Output:

  Cell In[9], line 1
    x + y = 10
    ^
SyntaxError: cannot assign to operator

We get a SyntaxError: can't assign to operator error because you cannot assign a value to a mathematical operator. To fix this error, you need to create a new variable and assign the value to it:

x = 5
y = 5
result = x + y

Conclusion

The SyntaxError: can't assign to operator error occurs when you try to assign a value to an operator that cannot be assigned to. To fix this error, you need to make sure that you are not trying to assign a value to the operator. If you need to assign a value to a variable, create a new variable and assign the value to it.

You might also be interested in –

  • How to Fix – SyntaxError: can’t assign to function
  • How to Fix – SyntaxError: Missing parentheses in call to ‘print’
  • How to Fix – SyntaxError: return outside function
  • How to Fix – SyntaxError: EOL while scanning string literal
  • Piyush Raj

    Piyush is a data professional passionate about using data to understand things better and make informed decisions. He has experience working as a Data Scientist in the consulting domain and holds an engineering degree from IIT Roorkee. His hobbies include watching cricket, reading, and working on side projects.

    View all posts

You cannot assign the result of a calculation to a mathematical operator. If you perform a calculation before an assignment operator appears on a line of code, you’ll encounter the SyntaxError: cannot assign to operator error.

In this guide, we discuss what this error means and why you may run into it in your programs. We’ll walk through an example of this error so you can learn how to solve it in your code.

Get offers and scholarships from top coding schools illustration

Piyush is a data professional passionate about using data to understand things better and make informed decisions. He has experience working as a Data Scientist in the consulting domain and holds an engineering degree from IIT Roorkee. His hobbies include watching cricket, reading, and working on side projects.

View all posts

You cannot assign the result of a calculation to a mathematical operator. If you perform a calculation before an assignment operator appears on a line of code, you’ll encounter the SyntaxError: cannot assign to operator error.

In this guide, we discuss what this error means and why you may run into it in your programs. We’ll walk through an example of this error so you can learn how to solve it in your code.

Get offers and scholarships from top coding schools illustration

Find Your Bootcamp Match

  • Career Karma matches you with top tech bootcamps
  • Access exclusive scholarships and prep courses

Select your interest

First name

Last name

Email

Phone number

By continuing you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, and you consent to receive offers and opportunities from Career Karma by telephone, text message, and email.

The assignment operator (=) lets you set a value for a variable. Calculations can only appear on the right-hand side of the operator. Consider this line of code:

Our program sets the result of evaluating 1 * 3 to the variable “a”. We can now access the result of our calculation at any time in our program by referring to the value “a”.

The name of the variable to which we want to assign a value comes first. Then, we specify an equals sign. This equals sign denotes we want to assign a value to a variable. Following the equals sign, we specify a calculation.

If you want to assign the result of a sum to a variable, you must use this format. You should not try to evaluate a problem on the left side of an assignment operator.

An Example Scenario

We’re going to write a program that calculates the profits a cafe has made on the coffee orders placed in the last day. To start, let’s define a list. This list will contain all of the purchases customers have made on their range of coffees:

orders = [2.20, 2.40, 2.60, 2.40, 2.80]

We’re going to declare and assign a placeholder value to a variable called “profits” which tracks the cumulative profits made on all of the drinks:

For now, “profits” is equal to 0. To calculate the value of profits, we are going to subtract $2.00 from the cost of every coffee. This is approximately how much it costs to produce any coffee at the cafe. To do this, we’re going to use a for loop:

for o in orders:
	o - 2.00 += profits

This code iterates through all of the coffees in our list. We subtract $2.00 from the value of each coffee. We then use the addition assignment operator (+=) to add the value we calculate to the variable “profits”.

Finally, let’s print out a message to the console that informs us how much the cafe has earned in profit over the last day from their coffee sales:

print("The cafe has earned ${} in profit from coffee sales today.".format(profits))

Let’s run our code and see what happens:

  File "main.py", line 6
	o - 2.00 += profits
	^
SyntaxError: cannot assign to operator

Our code returns an error.

The Solution

We’ve tried to evaluate a sum before an assignment operator.

This is invalid syntax. We must specify a variable name, and then an assignment operator, followed by the sum we want to evaluate.

Python is programmed to interpret the statement before an assignment operator as a variable name. Written in English, Python tries to read our code as:

"Subtract 2.00 from the value "o". Consider this a variable name. Add the value of "profits" to the variable."

This doesn’t make sense. We want to subtract 2.00 from the value “o” and then add the result of our sum to the variable “profits”.

To fix this error, we need to swap around the “profits” and sum statements in our code:

Python will read this code as “Evaluate o – 2.00 and add the result of that sum to the “profits’ variable”. This is what we want our program to accomplish.

Let’s run our code:

The cafe has earned $2.4 in profit from coffee sales today.

Our program successfully calculates how much the cafe has earned in profit. The cafe, after subtracting 2.00 from the value of each order, has earned a profit of $2.40 in the last day from coffee sales.

Conclusion

The SyntaxError: cannot assign to operator error is raised when you try to evaluate a mathematical statement before an assignment operator.

To fix this error, make sure all your variable names appear on the left hand side of an assignment operator and all your mathematical statements appear on the right.

Now you have the knowledge you need to fix this error like a professional developer!

Errors and bugs are inevitable and cannot be controlled, and one of them is the Python syntaxerror: can’t assign to operator error.

Are you stuck with this error and struggling to resolve it? Just keep on reading.

In this article, we’ll delve into the solutions to fix the syntaxerror cannot assign to operator.

Apart from that, you’ll also understand what this error means and why it occurs.

What is “syntaxerror can’t assign to operator” error message?

The syntaxerror: can’t assign to operator occurs when you are trying to evaluate a mathematical statement on the left side or before an assignment operator.

It triggers the error because you are trying to assign a value to something that can’t be assigned a value or is not allowed.

For example:

a = 10
b = 20
a + b = c

If you try to run this code as a result, it will throw a SyntaxError indicating cannot assign to operator.

This error message indicates an attempt to assign a value to an operator that doesn’t support assignment.

In simple words, you are trying to modify a variable or assign a new value to an operator that cannot be modified.

Why does the “syntaxerror can’t assign to operator” error occurs in Python?

The major reason why the syntaxerror cannot assign to operator keeps on bothering you it is because you are trying to perform the arithmetic operation on the left side of the assignment operator.

Unfortunately, the assignment operator cannot assign a value to it.

Here are the other common reasons why does this error occur:

👎 Mistakenly assigning a value to an operator instead of a variable. For instance, when you mistakenly write + = instead of +=, it will result in a SyntaxError.

👎 Misuse of comparison operators can lead you to this error. For instance, if you use the comparison operators like == (equality) instead of = (assignment) can lead to this error.

It usually happens when you mistakenly write a comparison statement when you intended to assign a value.

To fix the syntaxerror: can’t assign to operator error in Python, ensure that all of your variable names appear on the left-hand side of an assignment operator and make sure all of your mathematical statements are located on the right side.

For example:

Incorrect code

a = 10
b = 20
a + b = c

Corrected code

a = 10
b = 20
c = a + b

2. Ensure that you are not using a comparison operator “==” instead of an assignment operator “=.”

For example:

Incorrect code

a == 10 

Corrected code

a = 10

3. Ensure you are not using a hyphen in your variable names. Hyphens are not allowed in variable names in Python and are used as subtraction operators.

For example:

Incorrect code

sample-variable = 10

Corrected code

sample_variable = 10

4. Ensure you are not trying to assign a value to a literal.

Incorrect code

10 = a

Corrected code

a = 10

5. Ensure you are not trying to assign a value to a function call.

For example:

Incorrect code


def sample_function():
return 10
sample_function() = a

Corrected code

def sample_function():
return 10
a = sample_function()

Conclusion

In conclusion, the error message syntaxerror: can’t assign to operator occurs when you are trying to evaluate a mathematical statement on the left side or before an assignment operator.

To fix the syntaxerror: cannot assign to operator error in Python, ensure that all of your variable names appear on the left-hand side of an assignment operator and make sure all of your mathematical statements are located on the right side.

This error message is easy to fix and understand, by executing the solutions above, you can master this Syntaxerror with the help of this guide.

You could also check out other SyntaxError articles that may help you in the future if you encounter them.

  • Uncaught syntaxerror missing after argument list
  • Syntaxerror: cannot assign to function call
  • Syntaxerror invalid character in identifier

We are hoping that this article helps you fix the error. Thank you for reading itsourcecoders 😊

Источник

Понравилась статья? Поделить с друзьями:
  • Sysmain dll windows 10 x64 ошибка
  • Synology проверка сетевой среды ошибка
  • Synthetic scsi controller сбой включения ошибка доступа
  • Synology проверка диска на наличие ошибок
  • Syntaxerror unexpected end of json input ошибка