How to take a string litterally.

[JonJacobs]

I'm brand new to Java. I'm used to programming in C#, where, if a string literal has certain special characters, I can precede it with @ and the compiler takes the string literally without trying to interpret the special characters. I can also escape the characters with \, but the @ allows me to avoid that.

Is there something similar in Java? (obviously not @)

Thanks,

[Norm]

What is the difference between using the @ character and using the \ character? Why is one different than the other? What are the special characters that you need the compiler to ignore?
Can you give an example of each?

[JonJacobs]

Not much difference if you only have to escape 1 character, but a big difference if the string has 20 characters to escape and you only have to put a single @ in front of it instead. Your question suggests to me that Java does NOT have anything like that. Oh, well.

As an example, I hate to see long paths full of double backslashes. They're harder to read and downright ugly. Many times I have to copy and paste one of those literals into a browser to test the correctness of the path. But first I have to edit out all the double backslashes. Prone to human error, too.

Not a big deal, but it was a nice convenience in C#. And something I didn't even have to worry about in Delphi. Now that I'm starting to program in Java, I'll just have to live with lot's of escaping. It's not the end of the world.

Thanks,

[Norm]

What are the special characters that you need the compiler to ignore?

So the @ is only for a String containing \s?

I'll just have to live with lot's of escaping

I guess I've never had a problem. What kind of code do you write that requires lots of escaping?

[Tolls]

As an example, I hate to see long paths full of double backslashes. They're harder to read and downright ugly. Many times I have to copy and paste one of those literals into a browser to test the correctness of the path. But first I have to edit out all the double backslashes. Prone to human error, too.

Java understands path names which have forward slashes. It can translate them to whatever the local system recognises, so no need for escaping. In addition, hardcoding paths is not a great idea...they should generally be in some form of properties file, in which case escaping is not a problem at all.

[JonJacobs]

>So the @ is only for a String containing \s?
No, that was just an easy example. @ makes the C# compiler take the string literally no matter what might be in it.

What other escapable characters might be in C# don't matter. It's evident from the rest of this message chain that Java doesn't do anything like that, which is fine. Java probably has many other helps not available in C#. Pot-ay-to Pot-ah-to. :)

Thanks,

[JonJacobs]

>Java understands path names which have forward slashes.
That's good to know.

>hardcoding paths is not a great idea...
Agreed. I don't put the hadcoding in the final version, but it comes in handy for quick tests during early stages of prototyping/designing/developing.

Anyway, I believe I have the answer to my original question (ie: No). Which is fine. Just wanted to know.

Thank you,

[Norm]

You still haven't answered my question:
What are the special characters that you need the compiler to ignore?

[JonJacobs]

Norm, I don't have any particular characters in mind. As I get started in this new (to me) language, a question came to mind, and it has been answered (No), I believe.

After all, I don't know yet what characters (beside \) even NEED escaping in Java.

Thanks,