How do I split the definition of a long string over multiple lines in Python?

Better Stack Team
Updated on February 3, 2023

To split a long string over multiple lines in Python, you can use the line continuation character, which is a backslash (\) at the end of the line. The string will continue on the next line as if it were a single line.

For example:

 
long_string = "This is a very long string that I want to split over multiple lines. \
               It makes the code more readable and easier to maintain."

print(long_string)

Output:

 
This is a very long string that I want to split over multiple lines. It makes the code more readable and easier to maintain.

You can also use triple quotes (single or double) to define a multi-line string. The line breaks will be included in the string:

 
long_string = """This is a very long string that I want to split over multiple lines.
                It makes the code more readable and easier to maintain."""

print(long_string)
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