Appending a string containing a backslash to a list creates a list element with double backslash

Question

When I tried appending a string containing a backslash into a list, the element in the list is actually the string, but with double backslashes instead of single backslashes.

Code is as follows:

word = "<< hello\world"
sample = list()
sample.append(word)
print(sample) #['<< hello\\world']
print word #<< hello\world

Can anybody explain what is going on, and how to work around this?

Answer 1

The backslash is a special character, you should have written it with 2 backslashes yourself. Python corrected you. If you try to print the item within the list it will print correctly.

print(sample) #['<< hello\\world']
print word #<< hello\world
print(sample[0]) #<< hello\world