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String → Strings special chars

String

Strings special chars

Escape Sequences in Python Strings: Adding Special Characters

Escape sequences are special combinations of characters in Python strings that allow you to include characters that would otherwise have a special meaning within the string. They typically start with a backslash (). Here's a breakdown of common escape sequences:

Common Escape Sequences

Escape Sequence Description Example
' Single quote (') 'It's a lovely day!'
" Double quote (") "This string has "double quotes" inside."
\ Backslash () "I want to print a \ (backslash)."
\n Newline (creates a new line) "Line 1\nLine 2"
\t Horizontal tab (inserts a tab space) "Column 1\tColumn 2"
\b Backspace (deletes the previous character) "This is a string\bwith a backspace"
\r Carriage return (moves cursor to the beginning of line) "Start of a new line\rhere."
\f Form feed (new page on some printers) (Use with caution, functionality may vary)
\ooo Octal character representation (3 digits) "\101" (represents letter 'A' in octal)
\xhh Hexadecimal character representation (2 digits) "\x41" (represents letter 'A' in hexadecimal)

When to Use Escape Sequences

⯁ You need to include a single quote (') or double quote (") within a string literal enclosed by those same characters. ⯁ You want to display a backslash () itself within a string. ⯁ You need to create multiline strings or control formatting (e.g., newlines, tabs).

Alternatives to Escape Sequences for Newlines

⯁ Triple-quoted strings (''' or """): These allow you to create multiline strings without the need for escape sequences. ⯁ String concatenation (+): You can combine strings with newline characters (\n) to create multiline output. Example Usage
String escape sequence example in python # Including a single quote within a single-quoted string message = 'This isn\'t a typo.' print(message) # Including a double quote within a double-quoted string greeting = "Hello, \"world\"!" print(greeting) # Creating a multiline string with triple quotes multiline_string = """This is a string that spans multiple lines.""" print(multiline_string)

Output

This isn't a typo. Hello, "world"! This is a string that spans multiple lines.
Key Points ⯁ Escape sequences provide a way to represent special characters within strings. ⯁ Use them judiciously, as excessive use can make code less readable. ⯁ Consider alternative approaches (triple-quoted strings, concatenation) for multiline strings when appropriate.

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