How to Comment Out Multiple Lines in Python?

In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through the different methods to comment out multiple lines in Python. Commenting is essential to coding as it helps make the code more readable and maintainable. By this tutorial’s end, you will learn the various ways to comment in Python, including single-line and multi-line comments.

To comment out multiple lines in Python, the best method is to use consecutive single-line comments. Simply place a hash symbol (#) at the beginning of each line you want to comment out. For example:

# This is the first line of the comment
# This is the second line of the comment
# This is the third line of the comment
print("Hello, California!")

Commenting on your Python code is crucial for the following reasons:

Readability: Comments make your code easier to understand.
Maintenance: They help other developers (or your future self) understand the logic behind the code.
Debugging: Comments can temporarily disable parts of the code during debugging.

Table of Contents

Single Line Comments in Python

Before we get into multi-line comments, let’s quickly cover single-line comments. In Python, single-line comments start with the hash symbol (#). Everything following the # on that line is considered a comment and is ignored by the Python interpreter.

# This is a single-line comment
print("Hello, New York!")  # This comment is inline with the code

Multi-Line Comments in Python

Like some other programming languages, Python does not have a specific syntax for multi-line comments. However, several ways can be used to comment multiple lines in Python.

Method 1: Consecutive Single-Line Comments

The most straightforward way to comment out multiple lines in Python is to use # at the beginning of each line.

# This is a multi-line comment
# that spans multiple lines.
# Each line starts with a hash symbol.
print("Hello, California!")

Here is how the exact Python code looks like:

Method 2: Triple Quoted Strings

Another way to create multi-line comments in Python is to use triple-quoted strings (''' or """). Although these are technically multi-line strings, they can be used as comments if they are not assigned to any variable.

'''
This is a multi-line comment
using triple-quoted strings.
It can span multiple lines.
'''
print("Hello, Texas!")

Method 3: Using Backslashes for Line Continuation

While not commonly used for comments, backslashes (\) can be used to continue a single-line comment onto the next line.

# This is a multi-line comment \
that uses a backslash to continue \
the comment onto the next line.
print("Hello, Florida!")

Method 4: Using Your Text Editor

Various modern text editors and IDEs have shortcuts to comment out multiple lines in Python. For example, in Visual Studio Code, you can select the lines you want to comment out and press Ctrl + / (Windows) or Cmd + / (Mac).

Check out Variables in Python

Best Practices for Commenting in Python

Here are some best practices to keep in mind when commenting on your Python code:

Be Clear and Concise

Your comments should be easy to understand. Avoid writing overly long comments; instead, aim for clarity and brevity.

Keep Comments Updated

As you update your code, make sure to update your comments as well. Outdated comments can be more confusing than no comments at all.

Use Comments to Explain Why, Not What

Focus on explaining why you are doing something rather than what you are doing. The code itself should be clear enough to convey what is happening.

# Good Comment
# Check if the user is from the USA to apply specific tax rules
if user_country == "USA":
    apply_us_tax_rules()

# Bad Comment
# Check if user_country is "USA"
if user_country == "USA":
    apply_us_tax_rules()

Conclusion

In this tutorial, I explained how to comment in Python and how to comment out multiple lines in Python using various methods with examples. You can also use your text editor’s features to comment multiple lines of Python code.