Why Can't Python Raw String Literals End with a Single Backslash?

Raw String Literals in Python

In Python, raw string literals cannot end with a single backslash. Instead, an even number of backslashes is required, followed by a double or single quote.

Why the Restriction?

The misconception about raw strings is that backslashes within them are treated as regular characters. However, this is not the case.

As per the Python documentation, when a backslash appears in a raw string, it remains as part of the string along with the character that follows it. This is in contrast to escaped characters in regular strings, which are interpreted specially.

Consequences of the Restriction

• r'abcd': Represents the string "a, b, c, , d" (4 characters).
• r'abc'd': Represents the string "a, b, c, , ', d" (5 characters).
• r'abc'': Represents the string "a, b, c, , '" (4 characters).

In the case of "r'abc'", the string is incomplete because the backslash is interpreted as part of the string, and there is no trailing closing quote.

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