What Does the Backslash Character (\) Do in Java String Literals?

Understanding the Backslash Character () in String Literals

In Java, the backslash () character serves as an escape sequence that modifies the literal meaning of subsequent characters within a string literal. It allows you to represent certain characters that would otherwise be interpreted as part of the literal's syntax.

When encountered in a string literal, the backslash has special meanings for certain character sequences, as follows:

• n: Represents a newline character, causing the printed text to move to the next line.
• t: Represents a tab character, inserting a horizontal space.
• : Represents a literal backslash character.

In your example:

System.out.println("Mango \ Nightangle");

The backslash character before the second "N" in "Nightangle" (N) is an escape sequence. It tells Java to interpret the following character literally, rather than as the start of a new line. Therefore, the output will be:

Mango \ Nightangle

In general, the backslash character allows you to include characters in your string literals that would otherwise be reserved for special purposes, such as the newline or tab characters. By escaping the characters with a backslash, you can specify their literal inclusion in the string.

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