How do replace a string with '\' with '\\' in python

Question

For example I want to take input the absolute path from the user like "C:\Users\User\Desktop" and change it to "C:\\Users\\User\\Desktop" but when I do the following:

path = input("Enter path: ") and path = path.replace("\", "\\")

it throws syntax error as the escape sequence of \\ is triggered. How do I bypass this and achieve the replace?

Correction: It takes input and adjusts itself! There is no need to do such a thing as mentioned above...

@rdas `r"\"` is illegal in Python. – DYZ Jun 26 '20 at 06:28 — DYZ, Jun 26 '20 at 06:28

score 5 · Answer 1 · answered Jun 26 '20 at 06:21

Backslash is a control character in Python, meaning that a single backslash in your Python script does not, by itself, mean a single literal backslash. You may escape it to make this work:

path = path.replace("\\", "\\\\")

In this case, \\ represents a single literal backslash, and \\\\, the replacement, represents two literal backslahses.

NAGA RAJ S · Answer 2 · 2020-07-09T05:40:16.577

-1

You can use

os.path.join() or 
path=input()
path='//'.join(path.split('/'))

edited Jul 09 '20 at 05:40

answered Jun 26 '20 at 06:27

NAGA RAJ S

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Oh I figured it out... Python does the work by itself... Thanks – Broteen Das Jul 08 '20 at 16:33
then you give upvote – NAGA RAJ S Jul 09 '20 at 05:38

How do replace a string with '\' with '\\' in python

2 Answers2