Python Escape Sequence Interpretation
Python Escape Sequence interpretation is done, when a backslash is encountered within a string. After the encounter of a backslash (inside a string), any following character (with the ( \ )) would be looked upon in the aforementioned table. If a match is found then the sequence is omitted from the string, and its translation associated with the sequence is used. If a match is not found, then no lookup happens, and the control sequence is copied as it is.
Example
Python3
# A string with a recognized escape sequenceprint("I will go\tHome")# A string with a unrecognized escape sequenceprint("See you\jtommorow") |
Output:
As seen in the below output, the first print statement produced an output where the \t got resolved into a vertical tab and is omitted in the output. On the other hand, in the second print statement, the \j persists, as no legal resolution for that sequence exists.
I will go Home See you\jtommorow
Problems due to escape characters may not always result in undesirable output, but also errors. For example, the below code upon execution will produce an error.
Python3
print("C:\Users\Desktop\JSON") |
Output:
Produces the following error
print("C:\Users\Desktop\JSON")
^
SyntaxError: (unicode error) 'unicodeescape' codec can't decode bytes in position 2-3: truncated \UXXXXXXXX escape
The error is caused because the \U in the string leads to the next 4 characters being treated as a 32-bit Hexadecimal value which would correspond to a Unicode code point. This leads to an error as the next character is s which is outside the base 16 range.
Preventing Escape Sequence Interpretation in Python
Python Escape Sequence is a combination of characters (usually prefixed with an escape character), that has a non-literal character interpretation such that, the character’s sequences which are considered as an escape sequence have a meaning other than the literal characters contained therein. Most Programming languages use a backslash \ as an escape character. This character is used as an escape sequence initiator, any character (one or more) following this is interpreted as an escape sequence. If an escape sequence is designated to a Non-Printable Character or a Control Code, then the sequence is called a control character.
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