Multi-line String

Overview

Triple-quoted strings (""" or ''') let you write strings spanning multiple lines without escape characters. They are used for docstrings, SQL queries, HTML templates, and long text blocks — essential for readable code.

Syntax

python

# Triple-quoted string
message = """
Hello,
This is a multi-line
string block.
"""

# Docstring (triple-quoted at start of function/class)
def greet(name: str) -> str:
    """Return a greeting for the given name."""
    return f"Hello, {name}!"

# Strip leading newline
sql = """SELECT *
FROM users
WHERE active = 1
"""

Common Pitfalls

Triple-quoted strings include all whitespace including leading newlines — use .strip() or a backslash after the opening quotes.
Docstrings are accessible at runtime via func.__doc__ — they power help() and documentation generators.
Interview tip: PEP 257 says docstrings should be written in imperative mood: 'Return the sum' not 'Returns the sum'.

Real-World Example

Building a dynamic SQL query using a triple-quoted string

example

python

def build_query(table: str, column: str, value: str) -> str:
    return f"""
    SELECT *
    FROM {table}
    WHERE {column} = '{value}'
    LIMIT 100;
    """.strip()

print(build_query("users", "email", "alice@example.com"))

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