How to Properly Escape Backslashes in Java Strings?

Escaping Backslashes in Strings

When attempting to convert a string like "something" to "something" using the replaceAll() method, you might encounter errors due to misinterpretations of the backslash character.

The issue arises because the backslash () is an escape character in both strings and regular expressions. To escape it correctly in a regular expression for use with replaceAll(), you need to double-escape it:

theString.replaceAll("\\", "\\\\");

However, this method assumes you're using regular expressions for pattern matching. If your goal is simply character-by-character replacement, you can use the replace() method instead:

string.replace("\", "\\");

This will perform an exact swap of the backslashes without involving regular expressions.

Note for JavaScript Context

If your string is intended for use in a JavaScript context, consider using StringEscapeUtils#escapeEcmaScript() to escape additional special characters for safety:

StringEscapeUtils.escapeEcmaScript(string);

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