What is the way to include backslash characters in a string in python

Summary: in this tutorial, you’ll learn about the Python backslash character as a part of a special sequence character or to escape characters in a string.

Introduction to the Python backslash

In Python, the backslash(\) is a special character. If you use the backslash in front of another character, it changes the meaning of that character.

For example, the t is a literal character. But if you use the backslash character in front of the letter t, it’ll become the tab character (\t).

Generally, the backslash has two main purposes.

First, the backslash character is a part of special character sequences such as the tab character \t or the new line character \n.

The following example prints a string that has a newline character:

print('Hello,\n World')

Code language: PHP (php)

Output:

Hello, World

The \n is a single character, not two. For example:

s = '\n' print(len(s)) # 1

Code language: PHP (php)

Second, the backslash (\) escape other special characters. For example, if you have a string that has a single quote inside a single-quoted string like the following string, you need to use the backslash to escape the single quote character:

s = '"Python\'s awesome" She said' print(s)

Code language: PHP (php)

Output:

"Python's awesome" She said

Code language: JavaScript (javascript)

Backslash in f-strings

PEP-498 specifies that an f-string cannot contain a backslash character as a part of the expression inside the curly braces {}.

The following example will result in an error:

colors = ['red','green','blue'] s = f'The RGB colors are:\n {'\n'.join(colors)}' print(s)

Code language: PHP (php)

Error:

SyntaxError: f-string expression part cannot include a backslash

Code language: JavaScript (javascript)

To fix this, you need to join the strings in the colors list before placing them in the curly braces:

colors = ['red','green','blue'] rgb = '\n'.join(colors) s = f"The RGB colors are:\n{rgb}" print(s)

Code language: PHP (php)

Output:

The RGB colors are: red green blue

Backslash in raw strings

Raw strings treat the backslash character (\) as a literal character. The following example treats the backslash character \ as a literal character, not a special character:

s = r'\n' print(s)

Code language: PHP (php)

Output:

\n

Summary

  • The python backslash character (\) is a special character used as a part of a special sequence such as \t and \n.
  • Use the Python backslash (\) to escape other special characters in a string.
  • F-strings cannot contain the backslash a part of expression inside the curly braces {}.
  • Raw strings treat the backslash (\) as a literal character.

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On this page: commenting with #, multi-line strings with """ """, printing multiple objects, the backslash "\" as the escape character, '\t', '\n', '\r', and '\\'.

Video Tutorial

What is the way to include backslash characters in a string in python

Python 3 Changesprint(x,y) instead of print x, y

Video Summary

  • As stated in earlier tutorials, the print() function tells Python to immediately display a given string once the command is executed. To designate a string for the print function to display, surround it in either single-quotes (' ') or double-quotes (" "). Both options are available so you can still use quotes within your string if need be. Ex: print("how are you doin' today?")
  • If the pound symbol (#) is placed before a command or any sort of string of characters, the command will appear in red and Python will ignore it during code execution. This can be used within Python to provide helpful comments to those looking at your code, or to "turn off" certain lines of code in order to test for bugs.
  • Surrounding a string with triple double-quotes (""" """) allows you to have any combination of quotes and line breaks within a string and Python will still interpret it as a single entity.

Learn More

  • You can specify multiple strings with the print() function. Just separate them out with a comma ',', and they will be printed with a space in between:

     
    >>> print('apple', 'orange', 'pear')
    apple orange pear 
    

  • In Python strings, the backslash "\" is a special character, also called the "escape" character. It is used in representing certain whitespace characters: "\t" is a tab, "\n" is a newline, and "\r" is a carriage return.

     
    >>> print('apple\torange')
    apple	orange 
    >>> print('apple\norange')
    apple
    orange 
    

  • Conversely, prefixing a special character with "\" turns it into an ordinary character. This is called "escaping". For example, "\'" is the single quote character. 'It\'s raining' therefore is a valid string and equivalent to "It's raining". Likewise, '"' can be escaped: "\"hello\"" is a string begins and ends with the literal double quote character. Finally, "\" can be used to escape itself: "\\" is the literal backslash character.

     
    >>> print('It\'s raining')
    It's raining 
    >>> 'It\'s raining'          # Same string specified differently
    "It's raining" 
    >>> print("\"hello\"")
    "hello" 
    >>> print('"\\" is the backslash')   # Try with "\" instead of "\\"
    "\" is the backslash 
    

  • There are tons of handy functions that are defined on strings, called string methods. Learn about the ones on substringhood and also on case manipulation in this tutorial. This part 2 tutorial covers string methods for finding where a particular substring is located, and also for testing whether or not certain condition holds for every character.
  • Once you get comfortable with lists (upcoming), you should also check out Splitting and Joining Strings.

Practice

There are at least three ways to print I'm hugry. What are they? Try in IDLE shell.

There are at least three ways to print Fleas, Adam, Had'em (the shortest English poem ever written apparently) in three separate lines, using one print() function. What are they? Try in IDLE shell.

Explore

  • Think Python has an excellent chapter (Ch.8 Strings) devoted to strings. It gives a comprehensive overview on what one can do with this data type.

How can you put a backslash character in a string Python?

In short, to match a literal backslash, one has to write '\\\\' as the RE string, because the regular expression must be "\\", and each backslash must be expressed as "\\" inside a regular Python string literal.

How can you put a backslash character in a string?

If you want to include a backslash character itself, you need two backslashes or use the @ verbatim string: var s = "\\Tasks"; // or var s = @"\Tasks"; Read the MSDN documentation/C# Specification which discusses the characters that are escaped using the backslash character and the use of the verbatim string literal.

How do you put a backslash in a quote in Python?

You can put a backslash character followed by a quote ( \" or \' ). This is called an escape sequence and Python will remove the backslash, and put just the quote in the string. Here is an example.