>>> %matplotlib inline results in SyntaxError: invalid syntax

[Steven D'Aprano]

On Fri, 29 Jan 2016 06:04 pm, Mike S wrote:

> %matplotlib inline
> 
> I get an error on the last line. I am running this code in Idle Python
> 3.4.4 Shell...
> 
> Python 3.4.4 (v3.4.4:737efcadf5a6, Dec 20 2015, 19:28:18) [MSC v.1600 32
> bit (Intel)] on win32
> Type "copyright", "credits" or "license()" for more information.
>  >>> import numpy as np
>  >>> import pandas as pd
>  >>> import random
>  >>> import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
>  >>> %matplotlib inline
> SyntaxError: invalid syntax
> 
> What am I doing wrong? Suggested reading?

That %matplotlib looks to me like iPython "magic" -- yes, that's the
official name for it. It's not real Python code, and won't run in a regular
Python interpreter like IDLE.

IPython is a custom Python interactive interpreter. As well as running
regular Python code, it includes special syntax for magic such as:

%cd
%run
%bg

and many more. 

http://ipython.org/ipython-doc/rel-0.10.2/html/interactive/reference.html#magic

You could try installing iPython and running the tutorial examples in that,
or perhaps finding a better tutorial that actually bothers to mention what
it needs to run.

(You have read the tutorial from the beginning, yes?)




-- 
Steven