How to validate a JSON string with escaped quotes using Python

Question

I am using json.loads to parse a JSON string. However, it identifies the string as invalid JSON when it contains escaped double quotes. Since the string itself is valid, how could I parse it correctly without modifying the input string (i.e. using \\" instead of \"). Here is my code:

import json 

a = '{"name":"Nickname \"John\" Doe", "age":31, "Salary":25000}'

print ("initial strings given - \n", a) 

try: 
    json_object1 = json.loads(a) 

    print ("Is valid json? true") 

except ValueError as e: 
    print ("Is valid json? false")

Thanks!

But aren't all of the quote marks in that string effectively escaped, regardless of whether a "\" precedes them? '"\"' evaluates to the same string as '""'. — Kevin
– Kevin, Commented Jan 3, 2020 at 16:37
Letting json generate the JSON from a dict would be simpler: a = json.dumps(dict(name='Nickname "John" Doe', age=31, Salary=25000)). — chepner
– chepner, Commented Jan 3, 2020 at 16:40

Mike Scotty · Accepted Answer · 2020-01-03 16:37:22Z

4

Since the backslash itself is an escape character, you need to either escape it, or use a raw string (simply with the r prefix):

a = '{"name":"Nickname \\"John\\" Doe", "age":31, "Salary":25000}'

or

a = r'{"name":"Nickname \"John\" Doe", "age":31, "Salary":25000}'

answered Jan 3, 2020 at 16:37

Mike Scotty

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Comments

quamrana · Accepted Answer · 2020-01-03 16:36:48Z

1

Its the \ that need escaping to make valid json:

#soJsonEscapeQuotes

import json 

a = '{"name":"Nickname \\"John\\" Doe", "age":31, "Salary":25000}'

print ("initial strings given - \n", a) 

try: 
    json_object1 = json.loads(a) 

    print ("Is valid json? true") 

except ValueError as e: 
    print ("Is valid json? false")

Output:

initial strings given - 
 {"name":"Nickname \"John\" Doe", "age":31, "Salary":25000}
Is valid json? true

answered Jan 3, 2020 at 16:36

quamrana

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