Question

I use exec function calling python script from PHP script. Python writes to standard output two strings which I need in PHP script. The problem is that in these strings could be end of line characters \n ( so formally there are many lines in output), and according to exec manual array $output will contain
each line in it. What is elegant way to escape \n characters so that $output will contain only two string I want and no post processing of these two string needed?

EDIT: I can change python script.

Answer 1

Print the output in an easily parsable format, such as JSON, and parse it from PHP. For example, instead of:

print foo
print bar

Use something like:

import json
print json.dumps([foo, bar])

You read the JSON output form PHP and decode it using json_decode($output) into the desired array.