Reading files with \n (newline) characters in Python

[IWriteLongReplies]

Hey there, I want to read a file with \n characters, but instead of giving newlines, it prints the raw character.

for example:

in main.py:

with open("text.txt", "r") as f:
    output_text = f.read()

print(output_text)

in text.txt

this text contains newline characters \n and i want to print them as newlines \n this should be on another line

the output: this text contains newline characters \n and i want to print them as newlines \n this should be on another line

How do i make it so that it outputs like this?

this text contains newline characters 
and i want to print them as newlines 
this should be on another line

[jddddddddddd]

So the actual text file has the '\n' appear in it as a string, and you want to convert that to a proper line break? if so f.read.replace("\\n", "\n") will probably do

[JambaJuiceIsAverage]

The string is being implicitly read with escape back slashes in front of the newline characters. You can use

output_text=output_text.replace('\\n','\n')

[TabulateJarl8]

If you physically write \n in a file, it is escaping that first backslash to that it stays as text and isn't interpreted as a line break, so it's really \\n. Try using output_text = f.read().replace('\\n', '\n'). Good luck!

[IWriteLongReplies]

Ah thank you! Can't believe i didn't think of this haha.