how to convert string of bytes string into string using python

Question

I got a string of bytes string like below:

string1 = "b'\xe6\x88\x91\xe4\xbb\xac \xe7\xb4\xa2\xe8\xa6\x81 \xe6\x8e\xa8\xe5\xb9\xbf \xe7\x9a\x84 \xe6\x98\xaf\xe4\xb8\x80 \xe5\xbe\x97 \xe6\x96\xb9\xe6\x96\xb9 \xe6\x96\xb9\xe8\xa8\x80 \xe4\xb8\xba\xe5\x9f\xba \xe7\xa1\x80 \xe6\x96\xb9\xe8\xa8\x80 \xe4\xb8\x80 \xe5\x8c\x97\xe4\xba\xac \xe5\xb7\xb2 \xe5\x9b\xa0 \xe4\xb8\xba \xe6\xa0\x87\xe5\x87\x86 \xe7\x9a\x84 \xe6\x99\xae\xe9\x80\x9a \xe8\xaf\x9d \xe4\xbb\x96 \xe4\xbb\x8e \xe5\x84\xbf\xe7\xab\xa5 \xe6\x97\xb6\xe4\xbb\xa3 \xe8\xb5\xb7 \xe5\xb0\xb1 \xe5\x96\x9c\xe6\xac\xa2 \xe4\xb8\x8b \xe5\x9b\xb4\xe6\xa3\x8b \xe5\x9c\xa8 \xe5\x8d\x81\xe4\xba\x94 \xe5\xb2\x81 \xe7\x9a\x84 \xe6\x97\xb6\xe5\x80\x99 \xe5\xb0\xb1 \xe6\x98\xaf\xe6\x9c\x89 \xe5\x90\x8d \xe5\x85\xb6 \xe5\xb0\x91 \xe4\xba\x86'"

I want to convert string of bytes string into string so that i could use decode function to normal result.

• RMRiver: Can you not just do new_string = st[2:-1] ?
• Thunder Coder: This should work too str(string1) if there is a problem you are facing trying to implement mine or RMRiver's solutions, please edit your question to explain that.

Answer 1

First, put an r before it so that the \x keeps both characters. Then ast.literal_eval() will work.

import ast
string1 = r"b'\xe6\x88\x91\xe4\xbb\xac \xe7\xb4\xa2\xe8\xa6\x81 \xe6\x8e\xa8\xe5\xb9\xbf \xe7\x9a\x84 \xe6\x98\xaf\xe4\xb8\x80 \xe5\xbe\x97 \xe6\x96\xb9\xe6\x96\xb9 \xe6\x96\xb9\xe8\xa8\x80 \xe4\xb8\xba\xe5\x9f\xba \xe7\xa1\x80 \xe6\x96\xb9\xe8\xa8\x80 \xe4\xb8\x80 \xe5\x8c\x97\xe4\xba\xac \xe5\xb7\xb2 \xe5\x9b\xa0 \xe4\xb8\xba \xe6\xa0\x87\xe5\x87\x86 \xe7\x9a\x84 \xe6\x99\xae\xe9\x80\x9a \xe8\xaf\x9d \xe4\xbb\x96 \xe4\xbb\x8e \xe5\x84\xbf\xe7\xab\xa5 \xe6\x97\xb6\xe4\xbb\xa3 \xe8\xb5\xb7 \xe5\xb0\xb1 \xe5\x96\x9c\xe6\xac\xa2 \xe4\xb8\x8b \xe5\x9b\xb4\xe6\xa3\x8b \xe5\x9c\xa8 \xe5\x8d\x81\xe4\xba\x94 \xe5\xb2\x81 \xe7\x9a\x84 \xe6\x97\xb6\xe5\x80\x99 \xe5\xb0\xb1 \xe6\x98\xaf\xe6\x9c\x89 \xe5\x90\x8d \xe5\x85\xb6 \xe5\xb0\x91 \xe4\xba\x86'"
bytes1 = ast.literal_eval(string1)
print(bytes1.decode('utf8')) # 我们 索要 ...

• Thunder Coder: did you try your solution? because it doesn't seem to work.
• BoarGules: @ThunderCoder I tried it and it does work
• Thunder Coder: @BoarGules, look here:ide.geeksforgeeks.org/nLLLyLwNxZ to understand why I said that.
• Thunder Coder: I copied your code, the this link: ide.geeksforgeeks.org/nLLLyLwNxZ, and it doesn't seem to work there
• BoarGules: @ThunderCoder I looked there. You did not attempt to convert the bytes to a string, which is what OP wants. Try bytes1.decode() to see what I mean.