all Python 3Loopsconstruct

pass

control

The empty statement: it does nothing. It fills a place where the syntax demands a block but there is no code yet — a function, class, if or except body.

Syntax

def todo():
    pass

A common mistake is to think pass inside a loop skips the iteration: it does nothing, and the code after it in the same iteration still runs. Skipping the rest of the iteration is what continue does. You can write ... (Ellipsis) instead of pass — an expression that also does nothing; by convention ... marks stubs and protocols, while pass marks an intentionally empty block. The risky case is except: pass — the error vanishes without a trace, and you end up hunting it blind.

Examples

out_pass, out_cont = [], []
for i in range(4):
    if i % 2:
        pass  # ничего не делает
    out_pass.append(i)
for i in range(4):
    if i % 2:
        continue  # переходит к следующей итерации
    out_cont.append(i)
print(out_pass)  # → [0, 1, 2, 3]
print(out_cont)  # → [0, 2]

class Plugin:
    pass
def later():
    ...
print(later())  # → None
print(Plugin.__name__)  # → Plugin

See also

Open in the full glossarydocs.python.orgReport an inaccuracy