Backslash: meaning, definitions and examples
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backslash
[ ˈbækˌslæʃ ]
computer usage
A backslash is a character used in computing and programming that looks like this: \. It is commonly used in file paths in Windows operating systems and is also employed in programming languages to denote escape characters.
Examples of usage
- The file path is C:\Users\Username\Documents.
- To indicate a special character, use \n for a new line.
- In regular expressions, backslashes are used to escape special characters.
Translations
Translations of the word "backslash" in other languages:
🇵🇹 barra invertida
🇮🇳 बैकस्लैश
🇩🇪 Backslash
🇮🇩 backslash
🇺🇦 зворотний слеш
🇵🇱 backslash
🇯🇵 バックスラッシュ
🇫🇷 barre oblique inversée
🇪🇸 barra invertida
🇹🇷 ters eğik çizgi
🇰🇷 백슬래시
🇸🇦 شرطة مائلة عكسية
🇨🇿 zpětný lomítko
🇸🇰 spätný lomítko
🇨🇳 反斜杠
🇸🇮 obrnjen poševnik
🇮🇸 bakslásh
🇰🇿 кері слеш
🇬🇪 უკანასკნელი სლეში
🇦🇿 geriyə əyri xət
🇲🇽 barra invertida
Etymology
The term 'backslash' originated in computing contexts in the 1980s. The character itself was introduced in 1961 by computer scientist Bob Bemer. It was created as a complement to the forward slash, which was already used extensively in computing. The backslash was primarily adopted for use in programming and as a directory separator in Microsoft Windows environments. As computers became more prevalent, the backslash gained importance in various programming languages for its role in representing escape sequences, making it crucial for tasks involving string manipulation and file handling. Over time, the backslash has become an essential part of the digital lexicon, particularly in fields related to computer science and software development.