python - error when trying to use pass keyword in one line if statement -

stumped works:

if 5 % 2 == 0:         print "no remainder" else:         pass 

but not this:

print "no remainder" if 5% 2 == 0 else pass  syntaxerror: invalid syntax 

the latter not if statement, rather expression (i mean, print statement, rest being interpreted expression, fails). expressions have values. pass doesn't, because it's statement.

you may seeing 2 statements (print or pass), interpreter sees differently:

expr = "no remainder" if 5% 2 == 0 else pass print expr 

and first line problematic because mixes expression , statement.

a one-line if statement different thing:

if 5 % 2 == 0: print "no remainder" 

this can called one-line if statement.

p.s. ternary expressions referred "conditional expressions" in official docs.

a ternary expression uses syntax tried use, needs 2 expressions , condition (also expression):

expr1 if cond else expr2 

and takes value of expr1 if bool(cond) == true , expr2 otherwise.