backslash in Yaml string

Question

So I'm using yaml for some configuration files and py yaml to parse it. For one field I have something like:

host: HOSTNAME\SERVER,5858

But when it gets parsed here what I get:

{
"host": "HOSTNAME\\SERVER,5858"
}

With 2 backslashes. I tried every combination of single quotes, double quotes, etc. What's the best way to parse it correctly ? Thanks

That's how backslashes are escaped on Python... – JBernardo Feb 08 '13 at 18:23 — JBernardo, Feb 08 '13 at 18:23
Does the yaml format important to the question? – AlikElzin-kilaka May 26 '21 at 10:35 — AlikElzin-kilaka, May 26 '21 at 10:35

score 8 · Answer 1 · answered Feb 08 '13 at 18:30

8

len("\\") == 1. What you see is the representation of the string as Python string literal. Backslash has special meaning in a Python literal e.g., "\n" is a single character (a newline). To get literal backslash in a string, it should be escaped "\\".

answered Feb 08 '13 at 18:30

jfs

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score 5 · Answer 2 · answered Feb 08 '13 at 18:29

5

You aren't getting two backslashes. Python is displaying the single backslash as \\ so that you don't think you've actually got a \S character (which doesn't exist... but e.g. \n does, and Python is trying to be as unambiguous as possible) in your string. Here's proof:

>>> data = {"host": "HOSTNAME\\SERVER,5858"}
>>> print(data["host"])
HOSTNAME\SERVER,5858
>>>

For more background, check out the documentation for repr().

answered Feb 08 '13 at 18:29

Zero Piraeus

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Thanks a lot, I should know that by now! :) – remiH Feb 08 '13 at 20:51

backslash in Yaml string

2 Answers2