Python triple string quote declaration

ghz 4hours ago ⋅ 5 views

I use the triple string in the following way:

str="""jeff"""
str=""""jeff"""
str=""""jeff""""   # error
str=""""jeff """"

The third one is error, could anyone explain why this is error ?

Answer

In Python, triple-quoted strings (""" or ''') are typically used for multiline strings or docstrings, but they can also be used for single-line strings, as you've shown in your examples.

Let's break down your examples and explain why the third one causes an error.

Example 1: str="""jeff"""

This is perfectly valid. You are using triple quotes to create a string. The triple quotes allow for any characters inside them (including quotes), so this results in the string "jeff".

Example 2: str=""""jeff"""

This is also valid. In Python, you can use double quotes for strings, and you can have triple double quotes (""") as part of a string. Here, the string being assigned to str is "jeff".

Example 3: str=""""jeff""""

This is not valid and causes a syntax error. The issue is that Python is interpreting the triple-quote (""") inside the string as the end of the string itself. Here's the breakdown:

  1. The first pair of double quotes (""") starts a string.
  2. The next pair of double quotes (""") inside the string is interpreted as the string's closing delimiter.
  3. Now, Python is confused because it sees an additional """ after it, which is not valid syntax for a string.

To clarify, the third example ends up looking like this:

  • The first """ opens a string.
  • The second """ is supposed to close that string.
  • The remaining part jeff"""" is confusing because Python doesn't expect another set of """ after the string is closed.

Example 4: str=""""jeff """"

This is valid. The reason this works is because Python will correctly interpret the first """ as the start of the string, and it ends the string when the third """ appears. Here, """jeff """ is treated as a string, so the string inside the triple quotes becomes part of the assignment. The extra quotes don't interfere with the string's closure because they are inside the string itself.

Summary:

  • Triple quotes (""" or ''') can be used to define multi-line strings or docstrings, but the use of triple quotes inside a string can be tricky if the syntax is not properly managed.
  • The third example (str=""""jeff"""") causes an error because the inner triple quotes are prematurely interpreted as the end of the string.
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