How to run python code directly with correct syntax within sequel server management studio 2017

I wrote a python script that takes data from sql via "import pyodbc" The data this scrip pulls is parsed into a text message gateway API to send text messages to customers accordingly. This works fine in python.

However, now I want to write a sql stored procedure that will run every time an new invoice is generated in my business, the send the data for phone number + message through to this python python script within the same sql stored procedure.

The issue I am having right now is writing this python scrip with ssms 2017 and executing it without syntax error. Considering I am using sql 2017 I have enabled python and r respectively.

execute sp_execute_external_script
@language = N'Python',
@script =  N'

import africastalking

username = "sandbox"
apikey = "bf62be6"
africastalking.initialize(username, apikey)
sms = africastalking.SMS
recipients = ["+254797301255"]
message = ["Test from SQL"]
sender = "MegaLtd"

try:
    response = sms.send(message, recipients, sender)
    print(response)
except Exception as e:
    print(f"Houston, we have a problem {e}")

'

This is the error I receive

Msg 39004, Level 16, State 20, Line 2
A 'Python' script error occurred during execution of 'sp_execute_external_script' with HRESULT 0x80004004.
Msg 39019, Level 16, State 2, Line 2
An external script error occurred: 

Error in execution.  Check the output for more information.
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<string>", line 3, in <module>
  File "C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~3\MSSQL1~1.MPR\MSSQL\EXTENS~1\MPRYCESQLSEVER01\1D611E8A-CDE1-4F30-9FAC-0BB13871A3DE\sqlindb.py", line 59
    print(f"Houston, we have a problem {e}")
                                          ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax

SqlSatelliteCall error: Error in execution.  Check the output for more information.
STDOUT message(s) from external script: 
SqlSatelliteCall function failed. Please see the console output for more information.
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL14.MPRYCESQLSEVER\PYTHON_SERVICES\lib\site-packages\revoscalepy\computecontext\RxInSqlServer.py", line 406, in rx_sql_satellite_call
    rx_native_call("SqlSatelliteCall", params)
  File "C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL14.MPRYCESQLSEVER\PYTHON_SERVICES\lib\site-packages\revoscalepy\RxSerializable.py", line 291, in rx_native_call
    ret = px_call(functionname, params)
RuntimeError: revoscalepy function failed.

Solution

Your environment most likely uses Python 3.5.2

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/advanced-analytics/r/use-sqlbindr-exe-to-upgrade-an-instance-of-sql-server?view=sql-server-2017

However, f-strings have been introduced in Python 3.6

So you either have to somehow upgrade your Python, or just rewrite the exception handling, e.g. like this:

# ORIG: print(f"Houston, we have a problem {e}")
print("Houston, we have a problem {}".format(e))

If you're not sure which Python version your environment uses, you could check with

import sys
print(sys.version)