How to Write Special Characters in Python String

Introduction

Special characters, also known as escape sequences, are characters that have special meaning in Python strings. They are used to represent characters that cannot be entered directly from the keyboard, such as the newline character, the tab character, and the backslash character.

Using the backslash ()

The backslash character () is used to escape special characters in Python strings. When a backslash is placed before a character, it tells Python to interpret that character as a special character.

Here is a table of some common special characters and their corresponding escape sequences:

Character	Escape Sequence
Newline	\n
Tab	\t
Backslash	\
Single quote	‘
Double quote	"

Using the triple-quote syntax

Another way to write special characters in Python strings is to use the triple-quote syntax. Triple quotes are three single quotes (”’) or three double quotes ("""). When using triple quotes, you can include special characters in your strings without having to escape them.

For example, the following string contains a newline character without using the backslash escape sequence:

my_string = '''
This is a string with a newline character.
'''

Using the chr() function

The chr() function can be used to convert a character code to a string. This can be useful for writing special characters that do not have a corresponding escape sequence.

For example, the following code uses the chr() function to write the copyright symbol:

my_string = chr(169)

Using the ord() function

The ord() function can be used to convert a string to a character code. This can be useful for determining the character code of a special character.

For example, the following code uses the ord() function to determine the character code of the newline character:

my_string = '\n'
my_character_code = ord(my_string)

Conclusion

Special characters are an important part of the Python programming language. They allow you to represent characters that cannot be entered directly from the keyboard, such as the newline character, the tab character, and the backslash character.

There are three ways to write special characters in Python strings: using the backslash () character, using the triple-quote syntax, and using the chr() and ord() functions.

By understanding how to write special characters in Python strings, you can create more powerful and expressive programs.

How to Write Special Characters in Python Strings

Step 1: Understand Escape Sequences

Python uses escape sequences to represent special characters. An escape sequence starts with the backslash character (). Here are some common escape sequences:

Escape Sequence	Character
\	Backslash
‘	Single quote
"	Double quote
\n	Newline
\t	Tab
\b	Backspace

Special Notes:

• To represent a backslash in a string, use \.
• To represent a single quote in a string, use ‘.
• To represent a double quote in a string, use ".

Step 2: Use Raw Strings

Raw strings allow you to include special characters in a string without interpreting them as escape sequences. A raw string is prefixed with the letter r.

raw_string = r"This is a raw string. It contains \n without interpreting it as a newline."

Step 3: Use the chr() Function

The chr() function can be used to convert a Unicode code point to its corresponding character. The Unicode code point is a number that uniquely identifies a character.

unicode_code_point = 92
character = chr(unicode_code_point)  # Returns '\'

Step 4: Use the ord() Function

The ord() function can be used to get the Unicode code point of a character.

character = '\n'
unicode_code_point = ord(character)  # Returns 10

Step 5: Use the str() Function

The str() function can be used to convert a Unicode code point or a character to a string.

unicode_code_point = 92
string = str(unicode_code_point)  # Returns '\'

character = '\n'
string = str(character)  # Returns '\n'

How to Write Special Characters in Python Strings

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Table of Contents

Special Characters

Character	Escape Sequence
Newline	\\n
Tab	\\t
Backspace	\\b

Write Special Characters in Python Strings

Using Escape Characters

Escape characters allow you to write special characters that are not recognized by Python as regular characters. These characters are preceded by a backslash (\).

Character	Escape Character
Newline	\n
Tab	\t
Backslash	\\
Single Quote	\’
Double Quote	\”

Using Raw Strings

Raw strings ignore escape characters and interpret the string literally. They are prefixed with a lowercase r.

Example:

r"This string will not have any special characters interpreted"

Using Unicode Code Points

Unicode code points allow you to specify characters by their Unicode code. These code points are preceded by a backslash followed by a lowercase u and the code point in hexadecimal format.

Example:

"\u00E9" # Represents the é character

References

• Python StringLiterals
• UTF-8 CharTable