CODEWITHSUNDEEP
pythonstringescaping
pipsqueaker117
pipsqueaker117

Reputation: 2366

How to accept strings containing escape characters python

If the user inputs a string containing an escape character (e.g. "Example\" or "C:\Users...), I want to accept it exactly as is. In other words, I'm trying to circumvent the Syntax error thrown when input like the above is processed.

I feel like it should be simple, but the answer eludes me. Any help?

EDIT: I'm on python 3

Upvotes: 0

Views: 16040

Answers (4)

fyqc
fyqc

Reputation: 161

You can use built-in repr() function to returns the string enclosed in single quotes, which will make it possible to use a string contains escape characters as parameter to a function.

for example:

total_path = "D:\to R\wc"
if '.webp' in total_path:
    print(f"Found Webp! {repr(total_path)}")
    webp_to_png(repr(total_path))

Upvotes: 0

Knightt
Knightt

Reputation: 1

When processing the input, use the eval() function. Pass the input into the eval() function as an arguement. For example: PYTHON 3

x=input()
x=eval(x)

Or 

x = eval ( input() )

input the following value:
\N{superscript two}

print ( x )

output: ²

Upvotes: 0

K.Vani
K.Vani

Reputation: 72

if you are using python 2.7 use raw_input() which accepts the string with special chars.

Sample program

$vi demo.py

str1=raw_input("Enter the file with full path : ")

print "Given Path is : ",str

save and quit from vi editor

Output 

$python demo.py

Enter the path :/home/ubuntu/deveops

Given path is  :  /home/ubuntu/deveops

$ python demo.py

Enter the path :\home\ubuntu\deveops

Given path is  :  \home\ubuntu\deveops

if you are using python3 use input() which accepts the string with special chars because python3 doesnot have raw_input() function

$vi demo1.py

 str1=input("Enter the file with full path : ")

 print ("Given Path is : ",str1)

save and quit from vi editor

Output

$python demo1.py

Enter the path :/home/ubuntu/deveops

Given path is  :  /home/ubuntu/deveops


$ python demo1.py

Enter the path :\home\ubuntu\deveops

Given path is  :  \home\ubuntu\deveops

Upvotes: 0

Martijn Pieters
Martijn Pieters

Reputation: 1125408

Don't use input(); use raw_input() instead when accepting string input.

input() (on Python 2) tries to interpret the input string as Python, raw_input() does not try to interpret the text at all, including not trying to interpret \ backslashes as escape sequences:

>>> raw_input('Please show me how this works: ')
Please show me how this works: This is \n how it works!
'This is \\n how it works!'

On Python 3, use just input() (which is Python 2's raw_input() renamed); unless you also use eval() it will not interpret escape codes:

>>> input('Please show me how this works: ')
Please show me how this works: This is \n how it works!
'This is \\n how it works!'

Upvotes: 7

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