python split a string with special charcter

Question

I need to split a string that I receive like that :

my_string = "\data\details\350.23.43.txt"

when I use my_string.replace ("\\", "/")

it returns : /data/detailsè.23.43.txt

It's considering the \350 in my string as a special character 'è'

I need to split; but I tried to replace it first but my need is to split — sevenfold, May 11 '21 at 13:36
If you receive it, the characters should probably be good, but if you specify it as above then yes the '\350' will be replaced by 'è' in the string itself. Where does the string come from? — Joffan, May 11 '21 at 13:38
The problem is with your string literal, not with what you subsequently do with that literal. `my_string` as defined above simply isn't the string that you think it is. For example, `print(my_string)` prints `\data\detailsè.23.43.txt` — John Coleman, May 11 '21 at 13:44
The "workaround" is to create the string properly in the first place. — Karl Knechtel, Aug 07 '22 at 05:58

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered May 11 '21 at 13:45

\ in string literals are treated as escaping chars. That is why s1 = "line\nsecond line" creates a string with two lines. That is also why you use "\\" in my_string.replace ("\\", "/").

So to fix your problem, if you're using a string literal my string = "\data\details\350.23.43.txt" you should instead use "\\data\\details\\350.23.43.txt" to make sure your \ are properly escaped. Alternatively, you can use a raw string my string = r"\data\details\350.23.43.txt" by prepending r to the quote. That way nothing gets escaped (so r"\n" would be a 2 char string with \ and n instead of just a single new line char)

bechtold · Accepted Answer · 2021-05-11T13:55:32.667

1

Edit after your comment: Try

my_string = r"\data\details\350.23.43.txt"

That happens because \ooo is interpreted as a character with octal value as described in the docs.

I guess the only way is to escape the \ as in:

my_string = "\data\details\\350.23.43.txt"

Then you can do stuff like:

my_string.split("\\")

Where do you get the string from? Is there a way to influence that?

And this looks like a path. It would be better to use

os.path.join("data", "details", "350.23.43.txt")

to create paths independently of the operating system.

edited May 11 '21 at 13:55

answered May 11 '21 at 13:47

bechtold

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the problem is that I'm receiving it like that I can't modify it – sevenfold May 11 '21 at 13:49
Try adding an r before your string as in my edit above. – bechtold May 11 '21 at 13:56
If you "are receiving it like that", then the string **actually does contain** a `è` character, and the problem must be fixed in the sender. – Karl Knechtel Aug 07 '22 at 05:58

python split a string with special charcter

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