code snippet throws exception where same logic in script routine does not

My goal is to read a text file and set it to a variable in my keyword test. Simple. Got it done but noted an inconsistency between script routines and code snippets and wanted to understand why...

So I have this line of code in a script routine:

def TestCopyFile():
  KeywordTests.SwitchConfiguration.Variables.desired_olist = aqFile.ReadWholeTextFile("C:\\imports\\exportCompare\\lictest.txt", aqFile.ctANSI)

I have the same code in a 'run code snippet' operation (without the 'def' line of course):

KeywordTests.SwitchConfiguration.Variables.desired_olist = aqFile.ReadWholeTextFile("C:\\imports\\exportCompare\\lictest.txt", aqFile.ctANSI)

The script routine consistently executes without error but the code snippet always throws this exception to the TC log:

An error occurred while executing the code snippet: SyntaxError
invalid syntax

If I take out this variable setting logic from the code snippet operation:

KeywordTests.SwitchConfiguration.Variables.desired_olist = 

Then the snippet does execute without error. Not terribly useful though since nothing gets assigned. I can work around this but seems odd because that variable string is generated with the "Select Variable..." button so I would think it would be legal.

My question is, is setting a variable this way in a code snippet expected to cause an exception? Is this me doing something wrong, a bug, or a limitation?

Thanks,

John