In Python, escape characters are used to represent special characters that cannot be directly typed within a string. These characters are preceded by a backslash (\). Let’s explore some common escape characters and their uses.
Double Quotes within Double Quotes
To include a double quote within a string that is already enclosed in double quotes, use the escape character \".
Example:
text = "This is a \"double quoted\" string."
print(text)Single Quotes within Single Quotes
To include a single quote within a string enclosed in single quotes, use the escape character \'.
Example:
text = 'This is a \'single quoted\' string.'
print(text)Backslash
To represent a literal backslash within a string, use the escape character \\.
Example:
text = "This is a \\ backslash."
print(text)New Line
To insert a new line character within a string, use the escape character \n.
Example:
text = "This is line 1.\nThis is line 2."
print(text)Carriage Return
To insert a carriage return character within a string, use the escape character \r.
Example:
text = "This is line 1.\rThis is line 2."
print(text)Tab
To insert a tab character within a string, use the escape character \t.
Example:
text = "Column 1\tColumn 2\tColumn 3"
print(text)Backspace
To insert a backspace character within a string, use the escape character \b.
Example:
text = "Hello, \bworld!"
print(text)Form Feed
To insert a form feed character within a string, use the escape character \f.
Example:
text = "This is line 1.\fThis is line 2."
print(text)Octal Value
To represent a character using its octal value, use the escape character \ooo, where ooo is the three-digit octal code.
Example:
text = "The character for newline is \012."
print(text)Hex Value
To represent a character using its hexadecimal value, use the escape character \xhh, where hh is the two-digit hexadecimal code.
Example:
text = "The character for newline is \x0a."
print(text)By understanding and using these escape characters, you can effectively include special characters within your Python strings to create more complex and dynamic text.