python -c 'import time; while True: time.sleep(5)' fails with syntax error [duplicate]

Question

I'm using Python with -c to execute a one-liner loop, i.e.:

python -c "for r in range(10): print 'rob'"

This works fine. However, if I import a module before the for loop, I get a syntax error:

python -c "import sys; for r in range(10): print 'rob'"

  File "<string>", line 1
    import sys; for r in range(10): print 'rob'
              ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax

How can this be fixed?

It's important to me to have this as a one-liner so that I can include it in a Makefile.

Answer 1

You could do

echo -e "import sys\nfor r in range(10): print 'rob'" | python

Or without pipes:

python -c "exec(\"import sys\nfor r in range(10): print 'rob'\")"

Or

(echo "import sys" ; echo "for r in range(10): print 'rob'") | python

Or SilentGhost's answer or Crast's answer.

Answer 2

This style can be used in makefiles too (and in fact it is used quite often).

python - <<EOF
import random
for r in range(3): print(random.randint(1, 42))
EOF

Or with hard tabs:

python - <<-EOF
    import random
    for r in range(3): print(random.randint(1, 42))
EOF
# Important: Replace the indentation above w/ hard tabs.

In above case, leading TAB characters are removed too (and some structured outlook can be achieved).

Instead of EOF can stand any marker word not appearing in the here document at a beginning of a line (see also here documents in the bash man page or here).