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JavaScript Strings

JavaScript String Escape Characters

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A backslash lets you put special characters inside a string.

Some characters cannot be typed directly inside quotes.

The backslash tells JavaScript to treat the next character specially.

Example

Example

javascript

const text = "She said \"hello\"";

console.log(text);

The quotes appear as part of the text.

The Common Escapes

\n is a new line and \t is a tab.

\" and \' are quotes.

\\ is a single backslash.

Syntax

Syntax

javascript

"line one\nline two"

The backslash itself never appears in the result.

New Lines

\n creates a real line break inside the string.

Example

Example

javascript

const text = "first\nsecond";

console.log(text.split("\n").length);
console.log(text.length);

The newline counts as one character.

Escaping Quotes

Only the quote that ends the string needs escaping.

Example

Example

javascript

const a = "She said \"hello\"";
const b = 'It\'s fine';
const c = "It's fine";

console.log(a);
console.log(b === c);

Choosing the other quote style avoids the escape entirely.

The Backslash Itself

Two backslashes produce one, which matters for file paths.

Example

Example

javascript

const path = "C:\\Users\\Ada";

console.log(path);
console.log(path.length);

Each double backslash is a single character in the result.

Tabs

\t is useful for lining up console output.

Example

Example

javascript

console.log("name\tage");
console.log("Ada\t36");

Tabs are for plain text; use CSS for alignment on a page.

Template Literals Need Fewer Escapes

A real line break works directly inside backticks.

Only backticks and ${'$'}{ need escaping there.

Example

Example

javascript

const text = `first
second`;

console.log(text.split("\n").length);

The output is 2, with no \n needed.

Complete Example

Complete Example

html

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <title>JavaScript Escape Characters</title>
</head>
<body>

  <h1>Escape Characters</h1>

  <pre id="out"></pre>

  <script>
    const text = "She said \"hello\"\nOn a new line\tafter a tab\nPath: C:\\Users\\Ada";

    document.getElementById("out").textContent = text;
  </script>

</body>
</html>

Try It Yourself

Run the above example in the Try It Editor.

Try removing an escape:

Delete one backslash before a quote and see the syntax error.

Important Points

  • A backslash escapes the character after it.
  • \n is a new line and \t is a tab.
  • Escape only the quote that would end the string.
  • \\ produces a single backslash.
  • Template literals need far fewer escapes.

Conclusion

Escapes let a string contain characters you cannot type directly.

Most of the time, choosing the other quote style is simpler.

Backticks remove the need for the most common escape of all.

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