converting backslash codes

[Skaperen]

i was hoping it was usable in python 2.  i guess i will have to get this old code cleaned up and use it..

67 LINES OF OLD CODE

#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
# function      decode_control
#
# purpose       Decode control characters and other character formatted stuff
#               in ASCII strings.
#
# argument      string with encoded control characters
#
# returns       string with decoded control characters
#
# note          \a or ^g = alarm
#               \b or ^h = backspace
#               \t or ^i = tab
#               \n or ^j = newline
#               \v or ^k = vertical tab
#               \f or ^l = formfeed
#               \r or ^m = carriage return
#               \e or ^[ = escape
#               \\ = literal backslash
#               ^^ = literal carat
#               \0 = raw zero (warning: may cause string problems)
#               \[0-3][0-7][0-7] converts octal to raw
#               \x[0-9a-fA-F][0-9a-fA-F] converts hexadecimal to raw
#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
def decode_control( istr ):
    b = {'a':7,'b':8,'t':9,'n':10,'v':11,'f':12,'r':13,'e':27,'\\':92,}
    ostr = ''
    while len(istr) > 0:
        c = istr[0]
        if c == '^':
            if len(istr) < 2: return ostr
            c = istr[1]
            istr = istr[2:]
            if c == '^':
                ostr += '^'
                continue
            ostr += chr( ord( c ) % 32 )
        elif c == '\\':
            if len(istr) < 2: return ostr
            c = istr[1]
            if c in b:
                ostr += chr(b[c])
                istr = istr[2:]
                continue
            if len(istr) < 4:
                return ostr
            if istr[1] == 'x' or istr[1] == 'X':
                try:
                    c = int( istr[2:4], 16 )
                    istr = istr[4:]
                except:
                    if istr[1] == '0': c = ord( istr[1] )
                    else: c = 0
                    istr = istr[2:]
            else:
                try:
                    c = int( istr[1:3], 8 )
                    istr = istr[4:]
                except:
                    if istr[1] == '0': c = ord( istr[1] )
                    else: c = 0
                    istr = istr[2:]
            ostr += chr( c )
        else:
            ostr += istr[0]
            istr = istr[1:]
    return ostr