bash - Python command line argument semicolon-loop error -

first, noticed python , semicolon in title , want furiously bash me up, deeply apologize, , in command mode

i trying out python -mtimeitso put python -mtimeit "n = 0; while n < 10: pass" invalid syntax error showed up. same semicolon , loop.

however, when try semicolon , loop individually. both worked fine.

python -c "for in range(10): print(n)"   python -c "n = 1; n = 2; print(n)" 

why , how can test while loop in timeit? thank much!

while, for can't have semicolon before, need on 1 line. if looked @ python grammar:

compound_stmt ::=  if_stmt                    | while_stmt                    | for_stmt                    | try_stmt                    | with_stmt                    | funcdef                    | classdef                    | decorated suite         ::=  stmt_list newline | newline indent statement+ dedent statement     ::=  stmt_list newline | compound_stmt stmt_list     ::=  simple_stmt (";" simple_stmt)* [";"] 

you see statements part of compound_stmt need 1 one line alone. statements can separated semicolon simple_stmt group:

simple_stmt ::=  expression_stmt                  | assert_stmt                  | assignment_stmt                  | augmented_assignment_stmt                  | pass_stmt                  | del_stmt                  | print_stmt                  | return_stmt                  | yield_stmt                  | raise_stmt                  | break_stmt                  | continue_stmt                  | import_stmt                  | global_stmt                  | exec_stmt