new hash declaration in ruby returning syntax errors compared to command line

Question

I am trying to declare the new hash in ruby having two keys and arrays as values to the respective keys. The problem I dont understand is when I run it in pry ie command line it doesn't give any syntax error compared to when I run a .rb file. My codes are below.

[1] pry(main)> newhash = {
[1] pry(main)*   N: ["unsq", "34n","28"],
[1] pry(main)*   L: ["aston", "timesq", "place"]
[1] pry(main)* }
 => {:N=>["unsq", "34n", "28"], :L=>["aston", "timesq", "place"]}
[2] pry(main)> newhash[:N]
 => ["unsq", "34n", "28"]
[3] pry(main)> newhash[:N][1] #returns the correct values
 => "34n" #returns the correct values

When I declare a new hash in .rb file using same syntax, it returns the error,

mtahash = {
  N : ["timesq", "34thn", "28thn", "23rdn", "Union_Square", "8th"],
  L : ["8th", "6th", "Union_Square", "3rd", "1st"],
  }
puts mtahash[:N]
puts mtahash[:N][4]

Run and threw error as,

MTA.rb:2: syntax error, unexpected ':', expecting =>
  N : ["Times_Square", "34thn", "2...
   ^
MTA.rb:2: syntax error, unexpected ',', expecting end-of-input
...23rdn", "Union_Square", "8th"],
...                              ^
Farwas-MBP:day2 farwaabid$ ruby MTA.rb
MTA.rb:2: syntax error, unexpected ':', expecting =>
N : ["timesq", "34thn", "28thn",...
^
MTA.rb:2: syntax error, unexpected ',', expecting end-of-input
...23rdn", "Union_Square", "8th"],
...                              ^

Answer 1

No spaces before the : . Move from

mtahash = {
  N : ["timesq", "34thn", "28thn", "23rdn", "Union_Square", "8th"],
  L : ["8th", "6th", "Union_Square", "3rd", "1st"],
  }

to

mtahash = {
  N: ["timesq", "34thn", "28thn", "23rdn", "Union_Square", "8th"],
  L: ["8th", "6th", "Union_Square", "3rd", "1st"],
  }

Answer 2

You put space between your key and colon, try without it:

N: ["timesq", "34thn", "28thn", "23rdn", "Union_Square", "8th"],

etc.

Answer 3

{ a: 23 } is shorthand for { :a => 23 } just only for symbol keys. And you cannot put space so a: is valid but not a : .

Also using the capitalised form for a symbol is not preferred (even if it works) as per ruby convention so use :n instead of :N .