How to add \\ in string with python

Question

I want to get a path location as ' \\BIWDB02\e$\research' using os.join.path

I tried these ways

 import os
 a = 'BIWDB02'
 b = 'e$\research'
 c = '\\\\'
 print c
    # \\

Try-1:

x = os.path.join('\\','\\',a,b)
print x

output:

 \BIWDB02\e$
    esearch

Don't know why it is coming on next line and even 'r' is missing.

Try-2 ,3

y = os.path.join('\\\\',a,b)
print y

z= os.path.join(c,a,b)
print z

Error:

IndexError: string index out of range

Update:

os.path.join('\\\\\\',a,b)
#\\\BIWDB02\e$\research

with 6-\\\ it gives me 3-\\ but with 4-\\ it gives me indexError again.

\r is a carriage return character; it tells your terminal emulator to move the cursor at the start of the line — depperm, Jun 21 '17 at 15:25
define `b` as `b = r'e$\research'` and then just do `os.path.join(a,b)`. It should be enough — Ma0, Jun 21 '17 at 15:26
See [this question](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2081640/what-exactly-do-u-and-r-string-flags-do-in-python-and-what-are-raw-string-l) for more details about raw string literals. — Aran-Fey, Jun 21 '17 at 15:26

Wondercricket · Accepted Answer · 2017-06-21T16:14:29.787

5

The issue is coming from the \r in e$\research. \r is know as a carriage return and performs a return newline.

Add r to e$\research to make it a raw string literals

import os
a = 'BIWDB02'
b = r'e$\research'
c = '\\\\'
x = os.path.join(c, a, b)
print x

>>> \\BIWDB02\e$\research

edited Jun 21 '17 at 16:14

answered Jun 21 '17 at 15:27

Wondercricket

Thanks .. but I need \\ at start of string – Shivkumar kondi Jun 21 '17 at 16:03
@BHappyBHarsham I updated my answer. I noticed in your update, you said \\\\ gives you an `IndexError`. Which version of python are you running? I tested my update in 2.7 and 3.5 and I did not receive the error – Wondercricket Jun 21 '17 at 16:15

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Jun 21 '17 at 15:36

0

You don't have to manually escape your path names. You can cast them as raw strings in Python 2.x as follows:

"Path with lots of tricky characte\rs.\n..durr".encode('string-escape')

answered Jun 21 '17 at 15:36

athul.sure

2 Answers2