Python Escape Characters
Understand how to use escape characters in Python to include special or illegal characters in strings. Learn how a backslash \ followed by a character can help you insert these characters into your strings.
Escape Character
To insert characters that are illegal in a string, use an escape character.
An escape character is a backslash \ followed by the character you want to insert.
Example
Example (with Syntax Error)
An example of an illegal character is a double quote inside a string that is surrounded by double quotes:
txt = "We are the so-called "Heroes" from the north.
Error Output:
File "demo_string_escape_error.py", line 1
txt = "We are the so-called "Heroes" from the north."
^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax
To fix this problem, use the escape character \":
Example
The escape character allows you to use double quotes when you normally would not be allowed:
Example
txt = "We are the so-called \"Heroes\" from the north."
print(txt)
Output
We are the so-called "Heroes" from the north.
Escape Characters
Other escape characters used in Python:
| Code | Result |
|---|---|
| \' | Single Quote |
| \\ | Backslash |
| \n | New Line |
| \r | Carriage Return |
| \t | Tab |
| \b | Backspace |
| \f | Form Feed |
| \ooo | Octal value |
| \xhh | Hex value |