{"id":3257,"date":"2021-12-04T08:26:08","date_gmt":"2021-12-04T08:26:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pythontutorial.net\/?page_id=3257"},"modified":"2025-03-30T08:21:37","modified_gmt":"2025-03-30T08:21:37","slug":"python-raw-strings","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.pythontutorial.net\/python-basics\/python-raw-strings\/","title":{"rendered":"Python Raw Strings"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Summary<\/strong>: in this tutorial, you will learn about Python raw strings and how to use them to handle strings that treat backslashes as literal characters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction to the Python raw strings #<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In Python, when you prefix a string with the letter r<\/code> or R<\/code> such as r'...'<\/code> and R'...'<\/code>, that string becomes a raw string. Unlike a regular string, a raw string treats the backslashes (\\<\/code>) as literal characters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raw strings are useful when you deal with strings that have many backslashes, for example, regular expressions<\/a> or directory paths on Windows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To represent special characters such as tabs and newlines, Python uses the backslash<\/a> (\\<\/code>) to signify the start of an escape sequence. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n

s = 'lang\\tver\\nPython\\t3'<\/span>\nprint(s)<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Output:<\/p>\n\n\n
lang    ver\nPython  3<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
However, raw strings treat the backslash (\\<\/code>) as a literal character. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n
s = r'lang\\tver\\nPython\\t3'<\/span>\nprint(s)<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Output:<\/p>\n\n\n
lang\\tver\\nPython\\t3<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
A raw string is like its regular string with the backslash (\\<\/code>) represented as double backslashes (\\\\<\/code>):<\/p>\n\n\n
s1 = r'lang\\tver\\nPython\\t3'<\/span>\ns2 = 'lang\\\\tver\\\\nPython\\\\t3'<\/span>\n\nprint(s1 == s2) # True<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
In a regular string, Python counts an escape sequence as a single character:<\/p>\n\n\n
s = '\\n'<\/span>\nprint(len(s)) # 1<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
However, in a raw string, Python counts the backslash (\\<\/code>) as one character:<\/p>\n\n\n
s = r'\\n'<\/span>\nprint(len(s)) # 2<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Since the backslash (\\<\/code>) escapes the single quote ('<\/code>) or double quotes (\"<\/code>), a raw string cannot end with an odd number of backslashes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example:<\/p>\n\n\n
s = r'\\'<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Error:<\/p>\n\n\n
SyntaxError: EOL while<\/span> scanning string literal<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Or<\/p>\n\n\n
s = r'\\\\\\'<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Error:<\/p>\n\n\n
SyntaxError: EOL while<\/span> scanning string literal<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Use raw strings to handle file path on Windows #<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Windows OS uses backslashes to separate paths. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n
c:\\user\\tasks\\new<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
If you use this path as a regular string, Python will issue a number of errors:<\/p>\n\n\n
dir_path = 'c:\\user\\tasks\\new'<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Error:<\/p>\n\n\n
SyntaxError: (unicode error) 'unicodeescape'<\/span> codec can't decode bytes in position 2-3: truncated \\uXXXX escape<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Python treats \\u in the path as a Unicode escape but couldn’t decode it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, if you escape the first backslash, you’ll have other issues:<\/p>\n\n\n
dir_path = 'c:\\\\user\\tasks\\new'<\/span>\nprint(dir_path)<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Output:<\/p>\n\n\n
c:\\user asks\new<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
In this example, the \\t<\/code> is a tab and \\n<\/code> is the new line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To make it easy, you can turn the path into a raw string like this:<\/p>\n\n\n
dir_path = r'c:\\user\\tasks\\new'<\/span>\nprint(dir_path)<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Convert a regular string into a raw string #<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
To convert a regular string into a raw string, you use the built-in repr() function. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n
s = '\\n'<\/span>\nraw_string = repr(s)\n\nprint(raw_string)<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Output:<\/p>\n\n\n
'\\n'<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Note that the result raw string has the quote at the beginning and end of the string. To remove them, you can use slices:<\/p>\n\n\n
s = '\\n'<\/span>\nraw_string = repr(s)[1<\/span>:-1<\/span>]\nprint(raw_string)<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Summary #<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Try it<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try it<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try it<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try it<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try it<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try it<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try it<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try it<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try it<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n