def div(a,b):
        print a/b

try:
    div(5,0)
except Exception as msg:
    print msg

but IDLE says (while highlighting the 'as' keyword)
except Exception as msg:

SyntaxError: invalid syntax

"except Exception as variable"

is a new python-3 syntax.

You should use "except Exception, variable" syntax in 2.x series.

Vladimir Ignatov

It would be clearer to write the above code as:

    try:
        div(5, 0)
    except Exception as exc:
        print(exc)

since the target ‘exc’ names an exception object, not a message. (The
‘print’ function will *create* a string object from the exception
object, use the string, then discard it.)

In Python 2.5.4, the ‘try … except’ syntax was different
<URL:http://www.python.org/doc/2.5.4/ref/try.html>, and ‘print’ was not
implemented as a function, but instead as a keyword
<URL:http://www.python.org/doc/2.5.4/ref/print.html>. Use this form:

    try:
        div(5, 0)
    except Exception, exc:
        print exc