How do you escape special characters in python?

I'm trying to escape the characters -]\^$*. each with a single backslash \.

For example the string: ^stack.*/overflo\w$arr=1 will become:

\^stack\.\*/overflo\\w\$arr=1

What's the most efficient way to do that in Python?

re.escape double escapes which isn't what I want:

'\\^stack\\.\\*\\/overflow\\$arr\\=1'

I need this to escape for something else (nginx).

asked Sep 21, 2013 at 17:55

1

This is one way to do it (in Python 3.x):

escaped = a_string.translate(str.maketrans({"-":  r"\-",
                                          "]":  r"\]",
                                          "\\": r"\\",
                                          "^":  r"\^",
                                          "$":  r"\$",
                                          "*":  r"\*",
                                          ".":  r"\."}))

For reference, for escaping strings to use in regex:

import re
escaped = re.escape(a_string)

answered Sep 21, 2013 at 17:56

rlmsrlms

10.3k8 gold badges43 silver badges58 bronze badges

4

Just assuming this is for a regular expression, use re.escape.

answered Sep 21, 2013 at 17:57

Ry-♦Ry-

211k54 gold badges441 silver badges455 bronze badges

2

re.escape doesn't double escape. It just looks like it does if you run in the repl. The second layer of escaping is caused by outputting to the screen.

When using the repl, try using print to see what is really in the string.

$ python
>>> import re
>>> re.escape("\^stack\.\*/overflo\\w\$arr=1")
'\\\\\\^stack\\\\\\.\\\\\\*\\/overflo\\\\w\\\\\\$arr\\=1'
>>> print re.escape("\^stack\.\*/overflo\\w\$arr=1")
\\\^stack\\\.\\\*\/overflo\\w\\\$arr\=1
>>>

answered May 5, 2016 at 11:14

rjmunrorjmunro

26.3k19 gold badges108 silver badges132 bronze badges

Simply using re.sub might also work instead of str.maketrans. And this would also work in python 2.x

>>> print(re.sub(r'(\-|\]|\^|\$|\*|\.|\\)',lambda m:{'-':'\-',']':'\]','\\':'\\\\','^':'\^','$':'\$','*':'\*','.':'\.'}[m.group()],"^stack.*/overflo\w$arr=1"))
\^stack\.\*/overflo\\w\$arr=1

answered Jan 8, 2016 at 7:04

Akshay HazariAkshay Hazari

3,0093 gold badges43 silver badges76 bronze badges

Utilize the output of built-in repr to deal with \r\n\t and process the output of re.escape is what you want:

re.escape(repr(a)[1:-1]).replace('\\\\', '\\')

answered Mar 26, 2016 at 11:48

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged python escaping or ask your own question.

Escape Characters

To insert characters that are illegal in a string, use an escape character.

An escape character is a backslash \ followed by the character you want to insert.

An example of an illegal character is a double quote inside a string that is surrounded by double quotes:

Example

You will get an error if you use double quotes inside a string that is surrounded by double quotes:

txt = "We are the so-called "Vikings" from the north."

Try it Yourself »

To fix this problem, use the escape character \":

Example

The escape character allows you to use double quotes when you normally would not be allowed:

txt = "We are the so-called \"Vikings\" from the north."

Try it Yourself »

Other escape characters used in Python:

What does '\ r mean in Python?

What is the '\ n escape character?

What are the 5 escape sequences in Python?

How do you escape space in Python?