Convert backward slash to forward slash in python

Question

Hi I have read articles related converting backward to forward slashes. But sol was to use raw string.

But Problem in my case is :

I will get file path dyna

Answer 1

Raw strings are for string literals (written directly in the source file), which doesn't seem to be the case here. In any case, forward slashes are not special characters -- they can be embedded in a regular string without problems. It's backslashes that normally have other meaning in a string, and need to be "escaped" so that they get interpreted as literal backslashes.

To replace backslashes with forward slashes:

# Python:
string = r'C:\dummy_folder\a.txt'
string = string.replace('\\', '/')

# Ruby:
string = 'C:\\dummy_folder\\a.txt'
string = string.gsub('\\', '/')

Answer 2

Don't do this. Just use os.path and let it handle everything. You should not explicitly set the forward or backward slashes.

>>> var=r'C:\dummy_folder\a.txt'
>>> var.replace('\\', '/')
'C:/dummy_folder/a.txt'

But again, don't. Just use os.path and be happy!

Answer 3

There is also os.path.normpath(), which converts backslashes and slashes depending on the local OS. Please see here for detailed usage info. You would use it this way:

>>> string = r'C:/dummy_folder/a.txt'
>>> os.path.normpath(string)
'C:\dummy_folder\a.txt'

Answer 4

Handling paths as a mere string could put you into troubles.; even more if the path you are handling is an user input or may vary in unpredictable ways.

Different OS have different way to express the path of a given file, and every modern programming language has own methods to handle paths and file system references. Surely Python and Ruby have it:

• Python: os.path
• Ruby: File and FileUtils

If you really need to handle strings:

• Python: string.replace
• Ruby : string.gsub

Answer 5

>>> 'C:\\dummy_folder\\a.txt'.replace('\\', '/')
'C:/dummy_folder/a.txt'

In a string literal, you need to escape the \ character.