Prevent Javascript escaping text?

Question

Declaring

text = '{"section": "\main" }'

results in

"{"section": "main" }"

Is there a way to prevent the Javascript interpreter from treating the backslash as an escape character and removing it?

I want to be able to declare "{"section": "\main" }" and keep the backslash in the output"

"{"section": "\main" }"

Note: I realise that if I use two backslashes it will give me the desired output. But I don't want to use two backslashes as I have a lot of Latex code that I am including in a webpage and it is extremely awkward having to double escape everything. So is there a way to prevent Javascript escaping text?

Use a text editor to replace "\" with "\\" in your Latex code, it's not awkward at all. — GOTO 0
– GOTO 0, Commented Aug 15, 2016 at 15:08
Have the text in a div and read the div's innerText into a var if you do not want to escape @Mikey - yes I saw it wand removed my comment — mplungjan
– mplungjan, Commented Aug 15, 2016 at 15:09
@dandavis are you sure it's enough? From my tests in both FF and chrome, `\main` is escaped just like "\main" — Kaiido
– Kaiido, Commented Aug 15, 2016 at 15:52

Kaiido · Accepted Answer · 2016-08-15 15:11:50Z

6

In supporting browsers, you could use the String.raw method like this :

console.log(String.raw`\main`);

answered Aug 15, 2016 at 15:11

Kaiido

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5 Comments

mplungjan Over a year ago

Are the back tics on their own enough? Cannot test this right now

Kaiido Over a year ago

@mplungjan good question, also saw this comment and on my way back to the keyboard to test this after dandavis comment.

Kaiido Over a year ago

@mplungjan So the answer is nope in FF : 'hello'+`\main`->"hellomain", while 'hello'+String.raw`\main`⁣⁣⁣ correctly outputs "hello\main". (ps: funny how I had to use backslashes in here to make ths comment ;-) )

csss Over a year ago

The data is actually in a variable. Is it still possible to use String.raw with a variable instead of direct text?

Kaiido Over a year ago

@csss, as said by mplungjan on his answer's comment, "Then [your data is] already escaped!". If it's not, then JSON parser will throw you an SyntaxError : "bad escaped character ..."

mplungjan · Accepted Answer · 2016-08-15 15:17:26Z

1

console.log(document.getElementById("latextstrings").innerText)

<div id="latextstrings" style="display:none">
  {"section": "\main" }
  {"section": "\sub" }</div>

answered Aug 15, 2016 at 15:17

mplungjan

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6 Comments

Kaiido Over a year ago

How are you gonna set the innerHTML?

Kaiido Over a year ago

So non dynamic. Probably fine to OP, even if then I would probably myself prefer a comment node than an hidden element.

mplungjan Over a year ago

I have a lot of Latex code that I am including in a webpage

Kaiido Over a year ago

Yep "probably fine to OP" I said, just before upvote. But his question is how to make js not escape text, so this is a server-side workaround, not a js one.

mplungjan Over a year ago

Sure but I read it as "how to make unescaped latex strings available to JavaScript" for later use

|

Maxx · Accepted Answer · 2016-08-15 15:30:00Z

-1

Just double-escape it, it's the simpliest

"\\main"

answered Aug 15, 2016 at 15:30

Maxx

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