Often when your file needs to go through a few filters, the number of backslashes needed for escaping is just horrible! This small script just solves the problem. Works well on Python 2.6 and later as well as Python 3.

backbackslash.py

# Often when your file needs to go through a few filters, the number of
# backslashes needed for escaping is just horrible! This small script just
# solves the problem. Works well on Python 2.6 and later as well as Python 3.

# This file is under public domain.

# Copyright (C) 2013 Hong Xu <hong@topbug.net>

from __future__ import print_function

import sys

def escape(content, times, escapechar='\\'):
    """
    Escape the @escapechar for @times times. The content is either a string or an iterative of strings.
    """

    es = escapechar
    for i in range(times):
        es = es + es

    if type(content) is str:
        return content.replace(escapechar, es)
    else:
        ret = []
        for c in content:
            ret.append(c.replace(escapechar, es))
        return ret

if __name__ == '__main__':
    if len(sys.argv) < 2:
        print("Error: How many times will you escape?", file=sys.stderr)
        sys.exit(1)

    times = int(sys.argv[1])

    if len(sys.argv) >= 3:
        escapechar = sys.argv[2]
    else:
        escapechar = '\\'

    content = sys.stdin.readlines()

    content = escape(content, times, escapechar)

    for line in content:
        sys.stdout.write(line)