# Missing semicolon error when there really is one

**URL:** <https://discourse.processing.org/t/missing-semicolon-error-when-there-really-is-one/46805>\
**Category:** Beginners\
**Created:** [July 27, 2025, 4:32pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/missing-semicolon-error-when-there-really-is-one/46805 "2025-07-27T16:32:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![svan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@svan](https://discourse.processing.org/u/svan)\
**Post date:** [July 27, 2025, 4:32pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/missing-semicolon-error-when-there-really-is-one/46805/1 "2025-07-27T16:32:44Z")

</div>

Any of you Windows users know why this returns an error when it clearly has a semicolon:

`cmdStr = "C:\Users\s\.venv\Scripts\py5-run-sketch.exe";`

**Error:**  
 ![err](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/uploads/processingfoundation1/original/3X/f/c/fcd2b84ab78ebd673470be3a6b3a04f78c608eaf.png)

What can I do to get around it?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![GoToLoop](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.processing.org/gotoloop/32/86_2.png) [@GoToLoop](https://discourse.processing.org/u/GoToLoop)\
**Post date:** [July 27, 2025, 4:59pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/missing-semicolon-error-when-there-really-is-one/46805/2 "2025-07-27T16:59:56Z")

</div>

The `\` can be interpreted as an escape character inside `""`.  
Safest way is to do a double `\\` if you meant an actual `\`.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![svan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@svan](https://discourse.processing.org/u/svan)\
**Post date:** [July 27, 2025, 5:08pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/missing-semicolon-error-when-there-really-is-one/46805/3 "2025-07-27T17:08:30Z")

</div>

Thanks. Never would have thought to use double back slashes for each one. It works now.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![glv](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.processing.org/glv/32/18785_2.png) [@glv](https://discourse.processing.org/u/glv)\
**Post date:** [July 27, 2025, 5:40pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/missing-semicolon-error-when-there-really-is-one/46805/4 "2025-07-27T17:40:15Z")

</div>

Hello folks!

For visitors to topic.

The _ **backslash** _ `\` is an _ **escape character** _ and not the only one!

Issues with it come up and it is worthy of adding to a checklist when coding or otherwise!

Adding some related references to the topic.

References:

- [String / Reference / Processing.org](https://processing.org/reference/String.html)
- [Escape character - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escape_character)
- [Escape sequence - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escape_sequence)
- [Markup language - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Markup_language)
- [Backslash vs Forward Slash: Key Differences in Grammar and File Paths – WP Maintenance](https://wpmaintenancemode.com/backslash-vs-forward-slash-key-differences-in-grammar-and-file-paths/)

It comes up in topics and worth putting on a checklist:

- [Having problems with split for directories - #15 by glv](https://discourse.processing.org/t/having-problems-with-split-for-directories/46799/15)
- [JavaFX GIF Player Discussion - #7 by glv](https://discourse.processing.org/t/javafx-gif-player-discussion/46547/7)
- [Processing 3 Escaping Regex Characters - #2 by glv](https://discourse.processing.org/t/processing-3-escaping-regex-characters/19477/2)
- [Can I use part of Processing source code in my code? - #12 by Architector\_4](https://discourse.processing.org/t/can-i-use-part-of-processing-source-code-in-my-code/4423/12)

From the last link above this is a screen grab (image):

 ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/uploads/processingfoundation1/original/3X/d/2/d290866f39c437f8b59360b37821c2687215f346.png)

This is what happens to the text when you quote it and paste it:

> [@Can I use part of Processing source code in my code?](https://discourse.processing.org/t/can-i-use-part-of-processing-source-code-in-my-code/4423/12):
>
> P.S. When writing this comment, for “\” I had to write “\\” to make an escape sequence for this comment to write an escape sequence for Java’s string constant that contains an escape sequence to the regex filter! 😃

Same thing happened to me!

`:)`