How to tell if a string contains valid Python code

Question

If I have a string of Python code, how do I tell if it is valid, i.e., if entered at the Python prompt, it would raise a SyntaxError or not? I thought that using compiler.parse would work, but apparently that module has been removed in Python 3. Is there a way to do it that also works in Python 3. Obviously, I don't want to execute the code, just check its syntax.

Answer 1

Use ast.parse:

import ast
def is_valid_python(code):
   try:
       ast.parse(code)
   except SyntaxError:
       return False
   return True

>>> is_valid_python('1 // 2')
True
>>> is_valid_python('1 /// 2')
False