Python - concatenate a string to include a single backslash

Question

In Python 2.6, I need to create a string by concatenating INTRANET\ and a userid such as jDoe to obtain a string INTRANET\jDoe. This will string will be a part of a SQL query. I have tried this a number of ways but end up getting INTRANET\\jDoe and hence my query does not return any results.

I want to do this:

a = 'INTRANET\\'
b = 'jDoe'
c = a+b   ### want to get c as 'INTRANET\jDoe', not 'INTRANET\\jDoe'

Thanks

The problem seems a little different:

When I print c, I get 'INTRANET\jDoe'. But when I append c to a list (to be used in a sql query) as below:

list1 = []
list1.append(c)
print list1

>>>['INTRANET\\jDoe']

Why is this ?

"I have tried this a number of ways" - the ways you tested that seems to be secret. So the answer is secret as well... — glglgl, May 22 '13 at 10:32
When you say "end up getting", do you mean when you print it? and chuckle @glglgl — Burhan Khalid, May 22 '13 at 10:33
You might want to try `print c` and `print len(c)`. `c` only has one backslash. — DSM, May 22 '13 at 10:43

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered May 22 '13 at 10:45

2

The additional \ is there due to python escaping.

>>> print 'INTERNET\\jDoe'
INTERNET\jDoe

It doesn't affect the SQL you are using. You should look at another direction.

answered May 22 '13 at 10:45

Yossi

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Thank Yossi..but when I print the concatenated string to a file, I get the output 'INTRANET\\jDoe'..maybe I am missing something here. – sunny May 22 '13 at 10:56
Yossi, my problem was still not resolved..I updated the question. – sunny May 22 '13 at 14:24

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered May 22 '13 at 10:55

Try the following code,

s1 = "INTRANET"
s1 = s1 + "\\"
s1 = s1 + "jDoe"
print s1

This will give the correct output INTERNET\jDoe

If you simply try to view the content of the variable you will see an extra \, which is an escape sequence in python. In that case it will show,

'INTERNET\\jDoe'

Python - concatenate a string to include a single backslash

2 Answers2