Indent error: Unindent does not match any outer indent level (2023)

Indent error: unindent does not match any outer indent levelit is aerror PythonMessage displayed when your code contains inconsistent tabs and spaces. This article is yourscomplete guidebecause you'll learn why Python doesn't allow mixing tabs and spaces in your code and how to fix it.

We will show howindentation errorcan go into your code and how to solve it using tools in your IDE and Python. With that said, open your code editor and open the offending code as we are going to fix it here and now.

Why do indentation errors occur in Python?

The indentation error occurs in Python code because you have mixed tabs and spaces.Other causes areCopy and paste the codeor with an inconsistent number of spaces. Python's rules don't allow this, and the interpreter throws an error if you don't comply.

– You mixed tabs and spaces in your code

Python does not allow mixing spaces and tabs anywhere in its codebase. If you don't follow this rule, theindentationerror: unindent does not match any Django external indentation levelErrors occur in your Django project.

It's a built-in Python function, documented in"PEP 8 - Style Guide for Python Code", especially the "Tabs or Spaces?" Section. This section clearly states that "Python does not allow mixing tabs and spaces for indentation".

– You copied and pasted code from the internet

Copying Python code from online forums to your project can lead toI return to Pythonerrors. Here's why; The author of this code can have mixed tabs and spaces, which Python does not allow. So when you run the code, the Python interpreter complains about mismatched indentation. The best way to do this is to type the code and not copy it to yourcode editors.

– Your code does not have consistent spaces

ONEunindent does not match any outer indent level centerYour Python code does not contain consistent whitespace. Again, in "PEP 8 - Style Guide for Python Code" in the "Indentation" section, it is documented that you must use four spaces per indentation level.

If your code is not compliant, you will get the message "Pythonindentation error“Message onshell or in commandLine. For example, if your function definition uses four spaces on one line and five spaces on another, an error will occur.

How to fix indentation errors in Python

You can fix indentation errors in your Python code usingTracing the indentation errorwith "tabnanny". Or you can use the Convert Indent To setting in Visual Studio Code. Showing spaces in VS Code and reformatting your code in PyCharm also works like a charm.

SeveralMethods like “AutoFormat” or “CorrectRecoil" in Spyder and make sure you have thisconsistent guidesor spaces in your code will also solve this problem. Also, use keyboard shortcuts in Colab if you don't want to add complexity.

- Track indentation error with "Tabnanny"

to fix itReplit unindent does not match any outer indent levelError, you can use "tabnanny" module in python. As the name suggests, the tool finds ambiguous indentation in your Python code.

there are twopossible uses of the "tabnanny" module;You can use it in a file or on the command line. To use it on a file, do the following:

1. Copy the indentation error file from Replit (or other source).
2. Create a Python file and make sure it doesn't contain any syntax errors.
3. Import the sys and tabnanny module into the code.
4. Call tabnanny's check() method and pass the file with indentation errors as a parameter.
5. Run the code and tabnanny will show the line(s) with the indentation errors.
6. Note the line(s) and make corrections.

Another way to use tabnanny is from the command line with the following steps:

1. Launch your command prompt or terminal.
2. Type the following, replacing "error-file.py" with the code file containing the indentation errors: python -m tabnanny error-file.py
3. Press the "Enter" key on your keyboard.
4. Note the incorrect line(s) and correct it.

- Use the Convert Indentation To setting in Visual Studio Code

There are two ways to resolve thisindentationerror: unindent does not match any VS code outer indentation levelerrors. The first is the Convert indent to setting, and the second is the display of spaces. We'll cover the latter in the next section, for the former open Visual Studio Code and do the following:

1. Open your Python code with the indentation error in Visual Studio Code.
2. Press the following key combinations on the keyboard: "Ctrl", "Shift" and "P". For macOS, use Command, Shift and P.
3. Type the following without the quotes: "convert indent to"
4. Choose an option based on your preferences or the rules of your code base.
5. Save your file.

- Show spaces in VS Code

You cannot distinguish tab spaces by looking at them in VS Code. This can cause problems running the code because Pythonprohibits mixing tabs and spaces.This is why you should view spaces in VS Code as they have different representations. You can do this with the following steps:

1. Open VStudio Code and open your Python code.
2. Press the following key combinations on the keyboard: "Ctrl", "Shift" and "P". For macOS, use Command, Shift and P.
3. Type the following without quotes: "Open workspace settings"
4. Search for "renderwhitespace" and change the value to "all".

If this setting is active, go back to your workspace. If your Python code has tabs, view them asarrows pointing rightand if they are spaces you will see them as dots. Now you know if your code contains inconsistent spaces and tabs, and you can fix the problem.

- Reformat your code in Pycharm

You can reformat your code to fix the problem.indentationerror: unindent does not match any PyCharm outer indentation levelerrors. That's how it's done:

1. Open your code in PyCharm.
2. Click Code on the top menu bar.
3. Select "Reformat Code".
4. save your file

there is another wayFix this in PyCharmand this is converting indents to spaces or tabs. The following describes how to do this and you should choose an option based on your code base.

1. Open your code.
2. Click "Edit" in the top left corner.
3. Choose Convert Indents from the menu.
4. Choose For Spaces or For Tabs.
5. Save your file.

- Use keyboard shortcuts in Colab

Combining the correct key combinations solves the problemindentationerror: unindent does not match any Colab outer indentation levelerrors. The cause of the error is the same as what you learned from the article and the following will fix it for you:

1. Press "Ctrl" and "A". This will take you to the beginning of the line.
2. Press the "Tab" key, followed by "Shift" and "Tab".

The above steps will convert theTab indentation in your code for spacesDeepening. If the previous steps didn't work for you, you can still do this.Use the following if you have Notepad++.

1. Copy the Python code from Colab and paste it into Notepad++.
2. Click View and choose Show Characters. This will show all the characters in your code.
3. Look for an occurrence of tabs. It will be an arrow pointing to the right.
4. Right-click on it and copy it.
5. Open the "Search" function and click "Search".
6. Go to the Replace tab, paste what you copied if it doesn't already exist and set the replacement to four spaces.
7. Click Replace All. This will replace all tabs in your code with four spaces.
8. Copy the code back into Colab and everything should work.
9. To usesublime textif you don't have Notepad++.

- Use "Auto Format" or "Correct Indent" in Spyder

to solve theindentationerror: unindent does not match any Spyder external indentation levelerror, you can use "AutoFormat" or "Fix Indent". To use automatic formatting, do the following:

1. Click "Tools" and "Settings" in the top menu.
2. Select "Finishing and Linting" and select "Styling and Code Formatting".
3. Enable "Enable Code Style Linting" and "AutoFormat" files on save.

After enabling these settings, Spyder will use autopep8 to format your code as described in"PEP 8 - Style Guide for Python Code"🇧🇷 However, if you want an immediate fix before saving, use the following in Spyder as well:

1. Click Source.
2. Choose Correct Indent.

– Have consistent tabs or spaces in your code

Without needing any tools, consistent spaces or tabs will resolve any indentation errors in your code. However, you should prefer spaces to tabs, as documented in the PEP 8 style guide.

Again one of the main causes of thisReplit unindent does not match any outer indent levelis if you are not consistent with the use of tabs and spaces. To ensure you never make this mistake again, consider the following:

1. If you use spaces, use spaces throughout your code base.
2. If you're working in a codebase that uses tabs, use tabs. But if you can switch to spaces, do it!
3. Always adjust outer indentation in complex conditional formulasInstructions in Code Blocks.
4. When copying code from external sources, make sure not to mix tabs and spaces.
5. Invest your time and read "PEP 8 - Style Guide for Python Code". This will save you hours of debugging in the future, and you'll thank us for reading it.

Conclusion

The article explained whyan indentation erroroccurred in your Python code and how to fix it in different code editors. Here are some important things to keep in mind:

• Mixing tabs and spaces leads to the Python indentation error.
• Consistently using tabs or spaces will fix the error "Indentation error: Non-indentation does not match any outer Jupyter indentation level".
• You can track indentation errors in Visual Studio Code by displaying spaces.

What you learned in this article will help you with that.prevent indentation errorsin your future projects. Don't hesitate to revisit and revise all the concepts even if you face this error in the future.

references

• https://docs.python.org/3/library/tabnanny.html
• https://peps.python.org/pep-0008/#tabs-or-spaces
• https://peps.python.org/pep-0008/#indentation
• https://npp-user-manual.org/docs/searching/
• https://docs.python.org/3/library/exceptions.html#IndentationError