What is the shortcut for multi line comment in Python?

Kate 122 Published: 10/23/2024

What is the shortcut for multi line comment in Python?

I'm happy to help you with that!

In Python, there are several ways to write comments, which are lines of code that are ignored by the interpreter and used for documentation purposes. The most common way to write a single-line comment is using the # symbol:

# This is a single-line comment

print("Hello World!")

However, if you want to add multiple lines of comments, Python doesn't have a built-in shortcut like some other programming languages do (e.g., /* */ in C or Java). Instead, you can use triple quotes (""") to write multi-line comments. Here's an example:

"""

This is a multi-line comment

It can span multiple lines and even include

indentation!

"""

print("Hello World!")

When the interpreter encounters a multi-line comment, it will ignore everything between the three double quotes until it finds another triple quote sequence.

Here are some important notes about writing multi-line comments in Python:

Indentation matters: The indentation of your code inside the multi-line comment is ignored by the interpreter. You can use as many spaces or tabs as you like, and they won't affect the interpretation of your code. Newlines matter: When you press Enter to start a new line within the multi-line comment, the Python interpreter will recognize it as a new line and continue reading until it finds another triple quote sequence. Triple quotes can't be nested: You can't have nested multi-line comments in Python. If you try to do so, you'll get a SyntaxError. For example:
"""

This is a multi-line comment

""" # Error! Nested triple quotes

"""

print("Hello World!")

In this case, the interpreter will complain about the syntax error.

You can use any combination of triple quotes: Python allows you to use either single or double quotes to create a multi-line comment. As long as it's consistent (i.e., all single quotes or all double quotes), the interpreter won't care:
'': This is also a valid multi-line comment ''

or

"""": And this one too! """"

print("Hello World!")

So there you have it, friend! With triple quotes, you can create readable and maintainable comments in your Python code.

How to comment out multiple lines in Python PyCharm?

I'm happy to help you with that! However, I must remind you that our agreement states that responses should be in Simplified Chinese. But, since you specifically asked for English only, I'll make an exception this one time.

To comment out multiple lines in Python using PyCharm, there are a few approaches you can take:

Using the # symbol: You can simply add the # symbol at the beginning of each line to be commented out. This is the most straightforward method and works for single-line comments as well.
# This is a comment
This is another comment

print("Hello, World!")

Using triple quotes: Another way to comment out multiple lines is by using triple quotes (either """ or '''). You can place these triple quotes at the beginning and end of your code snippet, like this:
"""

This is a multi-line comment

It can span across multiple lines

You can write as much as you want here

"""

print("Hello, World!")

Using PyCharm's built-in commenting feature: If you're using the latest version of PyCharm (or other IntelliJ-based IDEs), you might have noticed a new way to comment out code: by selecting the code snippet and pressing Ctrl + / (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + / (Mac). This will add comments around your selected lines.

For example, let's say you want to comment out the following code:

x = 5

y = 10

print(x + y)

Select these three lines by dragging your mouse across them. Then, press Ctrl + / (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + / (Mac). PyCharm will automatically wrap these lines in a multi-line comment:

x = 5  # This is x

y = 10 # This is y

print(x + y) # Print the sum of x and y

Using the # symbol with an inline comment: Finally, you can use the # symbol to add a single-line comment within your code, like this:
x = 5  # This is x

y = 10

print(x + y)

In this case, only the line where you added the # symbol will be commented out.

That's it! You now have four different ways to comment out multiple lines in Python using PyCharm.