what seems to be the problem with the code

l = [1,2,4,5,6,7,8]
t = *l

i have read that *l gives comma separated single values so the statement should be similar to t = 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 which is a tuple but following code gives the error

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<main.py>", line 4
SyntaxError: can't use starred expression here

what seems to be the problem with the code

l = [1,2,4,5,6,7,8]
t = *l

i have read that *l gives comma separated single values so the statement should be similar to t = 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 which is a tuple but following code gives the error

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<main.py>", line 4
SyntaxError: can't use starred expression here

• python
• tuples
• iterable-unpacking

Share Improve this question Follow edited Jan 17 at 18:47 wjandrea 33.3k1010 gold badges6969 silver badges9898 bronze badges asked Jan 17 at 18:21 Sachin DobhalSachin Dobhal 2133 bronze badges 4

• 1 "t=1,2,3,4,5,6,7 which is a tuple" what makes you think that? – njzk2 Commented Jan 17 at 18:23
• 2 @njzk2 Because it is – wjandrea Commented Jan 17 at 18:47
• 1 If you want to convert it to a tuple, use t = tuple(l) – Barmar Commented Jan 17 at 18:52
• Related: Python unpacking list: can't use starred expression – wjandrea Commented Jan 17 at 19:39

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1 Answer 1

Sorted by: Reset to default 5

PEP 448, the PEP that introduced the kind of unpacking you're trying to do, specifically allows unpacking "inside tuple, list, set, and dictionary displays".

If you want to unpack l into a tuple on the RHS of an assignment, the unpacking has to happen in a "tuple display" - syntax that would have created a tuple even without the unpacking. l would not create a tuple, so your unpacking is invalid.

You can make the unpacking work with code like

t = *l,

since t = l, would be valid syntax to create a one-element tuple.