How to Fix a 'unicodeescape' Codec Error When Reading CSV Files in Python?

Unicode Decode Error in CSV File Reading

When attempting to read a CSV file into Python using the built-in csv module, you may encounter an error stating:

SyntaxError: (unicode error) 'unicodeescape' codec can't decode bytes
in position 2-3: truncated \UXXXXXXXX escape

This error occurs when the path to the CSV file contains special characters or Unicode escapes that Python's unicodeescape codec cannot decode.

To resolve this issue, consider the following solutions:

Solution 1: Use a Raw String

Prepend the path to the CSV file with a lowercase "r" to denote a raw string. This will prevent Python from interpreting special characters as escape sequences.

data = open(r"C:\Users\miche\Documents\school\jaar2\MIK.6\vektis_agb_zorgverlener")

Solution 2: Use Forward Slashes

Replace the backslashes in the file path with forward slashes. This is a common solution for resolving Unicode decode issues in Windows environments.

data = open("C:/Users/miche/Documents/school/jaar2/MIK/2.6/vektis_agb_zorgverlener")

Solution 3: Escape Backslashes

Alternatively, you can escape the backslashes in the path by using double backslashes.

data = open("C:\Users\miche\Documents\school\jaar2\MIK\2.6\vektis_agb_zorgverlener")

By applying one of these solutions, you should resolve the Unicode decode error and be able to read the CSV file successfully into your Python program.

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