It’s completely normal to make mistakes when you’re programming—everyone does! The key to becoming a better programmer is learning how to fix them. This process is called debugging. In Python, you’ll generally encounter three types of errors: syntax errors, runtime errors, and logic errors.
🚫 Syntax Errors: The Grammar Mistakes
A syntax error is like a typo or a grammar mistake in your code. It happens when you write something that doesn’t follow Python’s rules, like forgetting a parenthesis or a colon. Python is great at catching these. It will stop immediately and show you an error message that points to the exact line (and often the exact spot) where the mistake occurred, making them the easiest to fix.
💥 Runtime Errors: The Unexpected Crashes
A runtime error happens while your program is running. The code’s syntax is correct, but something unexpected happens that Python can’t handle. A classic example is trying to divide a number by zero or trying to open a file that doesn’t exist. The program starts, but then crashes and displays an error message, often called a “traceback,” which tells you which line caused the problem. These can be trickier because they might only happen with specific user inputs.
🤯 Logic Errors: The Silent Bugs
Logic errors are the sneakiest of all. The program runs perfectly without any crashes or error messages, but it produces the wrong result. This happens because the logic of your code is flawed—it’s doing something different from what you intended. For example, you might have used a < sign when you meant to use a >. Python can't know your intentions, so it's up to you to find the mistake by carefully testing your program and tracing your code to see where it goes wrong.
Understanding these three error types will make you a much more effective and less frustrated programmer. Every error is a learning opportunity!
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Stephenson, Ben. The Python Workbook: A Brief Introduction with Exercises and Solutions. 3rd ed., Springer, 2025.
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