trouble using \ to escape %

[John Machin]

On 15 Apr 2005 16:05:34 -0700, "Lucas Machado" <LMachado1 at gmail.com>
wrote:

>I'm writing a python script that modifies the smb.conf file, and i need
>to write the characters '%U' in the file.  I tried making a string like
>so:
>
>str1 = "[%s%s]\n\tpath = /mnt/samba/%s%s/\%U" % (list[0], list[1],
>list[0], list[1])
>
>but i keep getting: "TypeError: not enough arguments for format
>string". I've also tried making the string:
>
>str1 = "[%s%s]\n\tpath = /mnt/samba/%s%s/\%" % (list[0], list[1],
>list[0], list[1])
>
>but i get: "ValueError: incomplete format". These errors lead me to
>believe that for some reason it is not escaping the '%' character.
>There has to be a way to write '%' to a file. Thanks in advance..

Looks like you've already got your answer, but here's some META-help:
what to do when you have a problem and your internet connection is
broken:

1. GUESS. Extrapolation from examples like DLE DLE in networking, $$
in m4 and \\ in *almost* everything might suggest trying %%

2. READ THE DOCS. Don't know what platform you're running on, but one
of what a recent blogger called "hopeless Windows people" [like me]
would do is this:

Start->Programs->Python 2.4->Python manuals, click on the Index tab,
type %, hit Enter ... scrolling down leads to a table of conversion
types, the last of which is the somewhat tautological """% No argument
is converted, results in a "%" character in the result."""

HTH,
John