Escape character problem

[shuvo]

I have file urls stored in a database field. Urls are like this:

"\\Images\Sunset.jpg"

Where I retrieve it and store in tha string variable it becomes
"\\\\Images\\Sunset.jpg";

@ character can be used with strings like strval=@"\\Images";
But how do I use it with string variables or Database values? Other than using Replace("\\","\"), can anyone suggest a better solution?

[Krishnaa]

I don't think by just reading into string the escape chars would get added, I suspect that it is stored in DB that way.

[jmedved]

Where I retrieve it and store in tha string variable it becomes
"\\\\Images\\Sunset.jpg";

How are you checking for this.
If you just look at variable with debugger, it always escapes it (even if you originally used @ char). If you are watching this through debugger, content is ok.
Put variable into TextBox or something similar, and you will see it without escaping.

[foamy]

just because the string's value is

"\\\\Images\\Whatever"

When you're debugging, the printed value when you output it to the console or a textbox for example will still be

\\Images\Whatever

EDIT: D'oh, beaten to the punch!

[shuvo]

Thanks to all of you for your input.I found out that url is still working with "\\\\", that is returned from the database. I just had to replace the last "\\" with a "/".Seriously .net should improves its handling of escape characters.

[foamy]

Having to replace a backslash with a forward slash has nothing to do with .NET escape characters though ...

[shuvo]

@Foamy...Try replacing "\\" with "\".

[foamy]

I'm not sure what you mean... I single backslash will appear as "\\" in C# since it doubles as an escape character, so it needs to be escaped. Two backslashes will therefore appear as "\\\\".
This can be avoided by appending a @ to the front of the string like this:

string path = @"C:\Program Files\...";