Syntax error for simple script

[Erik]

On 26/06/17 18:30, Chris Angelico wrote:
> On Tue, Jun 27, 2017 at 2:41 AM, Rurpy via Python-list
> <python-list at python.org> wrote:
>> How about:
>>
>>    In Python 2, 'print' was a statement and did not require
>>    parenthesis around its argument.  In Python 3 'print' has
>>    been changed to a function and now, like all functions,
>>    requires parenthesis around its arguments:
>>      python 2:  print arg1, arg2,...
>>      python 3:  print (arg1, arg2,...)
> 
> Absolutely, if we consider that Python 2 is the official standard and
> Python 3 is a buggy interloper. But if Python 3 is the standard and
> Python 2 is the legacy version, then the existing message is far more
> appropriate, without being unhelpful.

To be fair, this already seems to be a special case:

-----------------------------------------------------------
$ python3
Python 3.5.2 (default, Nov 17 2016, 17:05:23)
[GCC 5.4.0 20160609] on linux
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
 >>> def foo(s): return s
...
 >>> type(foo)
<class 'function'>
 >>> type(enumerate)
<class 'type'>
 >>> type(len)
<class 'builtin_function_or_method'>
 >>> type(print)
<class 'builtin_function_or_method'>
 >>> foo "bar"
   File "<stdin>", line 1
     foo "bar"
             ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax
 >>> enumerate "bar"
   File "<stdin>", line 1
     enumerate "bar"
                   ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax
 >>> len "bar"
   File "<stdin>", line 1
     len "bar"
             ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax
 >>> print "bar"
   File "<stdin>", line 1
     print "bar"
               ^
SyntaxError: Missing parentheses in call to 'print'
 >>> p = print
 >>> p "foo"
   File "<stdin>", line 1
     p "foo"
           ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax
 >>>
-----------------------------------------------------------

If that's the case, then why make it so terse? It's presumably there as 
a special case specifically to tell/remind people that print became a 
function in Py3.

I think the suggestion above is a bit wordy, but even if it was 
something like "Missing parentheses in call to the 'print' function" or 
even "Missing parentheses in call to 'print'. Using 'print' as a 
statement is obsolete syntax in Python 3." ... or whatever is considered 
more descriptive.

Either that or just make it "SyntaxError: invalid syntax" like all the 
others. It seems to fall somewhere between the two at the moment - it's 
trying to be more helpful but just falls short for a beginner (if one 
already knows the difference and has just forgotten to call it 
correctly, it's a nice *reminder*, so I'd actually prefer it not to just 
become the basic "invalid syntax" message).

E.