One liner for printing python's path [duplicate]

Question

I am trying to put in my Bash script a one-liner that would print my python's path

python -c 'import sys; for p in sys.path: print(p)'

the for keyword is flagged as an invalid syntax

I was expecting that the semicolon would work as a new line character, yet it disappointed me.

Possible duplicate of stackoverflow.com/questions/55716234/… or stackoverflow.com/questions/2043453/… — Stitt
– Stitt, Commented Aug 26 at 0:14

J Earls · Accepted Answer · 2025-08-26 19:28:08Z

6

you didn't ask a question, but you are looking for:

python -c 'import sys; print("\n".join(sys.path))'

The reason your posted example doesn't work is that block-introducing statements must be the first statement on the physical line (meaning they can't appear after a semicolon). (More specifically: semicolons can only be used to separate "simple statements"; compound statements cannot be introduced as part of a semicolon-separated group of statements.)

If you're using BASH to run the command, you actually have a second option:

python -c $'import sys\nfor p in sys.path: print(p)'

The $'...' in BASH evaluates ANSI-C backslash escape sequences (such as \n for a newline), thus allowing you to put the for statement on a new physical line.

edited Aug 26 at 19:28

answered Aug 26 at 0:18

J Earls

2,73811 silver badges18 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

3 Comments

jarmod Aug 26 at 0:26

Your answer would be better if it actually explained why your version works while the OP's does not.

J Earls Aug 26 at 19:18

@jarmod thanks; added explanation and a second option when running BASH.

ShadowRanger Aug 26 at 19:28

Note: While not technically a one-liner, you could just put a literal newline in a quoted command, e.g. python -c 'import sys on the first line, and because the ' wasn't paired, you can continue, entering for p in sys.path: print(p)' on the second line. Doesn't rely on bash-specific functionality like $'', and while technically not a one-liner, when we're talking about scripting languages, "one-liner" often just means "putting a whole script in the command line", which this does.

wjandrea · Accepted Answer · 2025-08-26 00:59:21Z

4

Other method is to unpack all values in print and use new line as separator

python -c 'import sys; print(*sys.path, sep="\n")'

I'm not sure but print() may have limit to 255 arguments (or maybe it had it in older versions)
but sys.path is shorter.

After ; one-liner doesn't allow for some constructions which normally need indentations, like for-loop, while-loop, if/elif/else, try/except

edited Aug 26 at 0:59

wjandrea

33.9k10 gold badges69 silver badges105 bronze badges

answered Aug 26 at 0:22

furas

149k12 gold badges121 silver badges171 bronze badges

2 Comments

ShadowRanger Aug 26 at 19:35

There's no meaningful limit on number of arguments to print that would apply here (there might be some upper limit, can't be bothered to check source code, but it's well beyond what you'd reasonably print as a single call, I've tested to 10M). Some older versions had limits on number of fixed arguments IIRC, but those limits never applied to *-unpacked varargs to my knowledge.

Paweł Wójcik Aug 30 at 19:20

This is very helpful. I would like to hear more about the restrictions placed on expressions after ;.

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

One liner for printing python's path [duplicate]

2 Answers 2

3 Comments

2 Comments

Linked

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

2 Answers 2

3 Comments

2 Comments

Linked

Related