---
title: "{} Escape Sequence - Markup Extension"
ms.date: "03/30/2017"
f1_keywords: 
  - "{}"
helpviewer_keywords: 
  - "XAML [XAML Services], quotation mark (\")"
  - "{} escape sequence [XAML Services]"
  - "XAML [XAML Services], {} escape sequence"
  - "XAML [XAML Services], escape sequence"
  - "quotation mark (\") [XAML Services]"
  - "escape sequence [XAML Services]"
ms.assetid: 3ce3e2ad-a868-43f9-9c98-b29561cb146e
---
# {} Escape sequence / markup extension

Provides the XAML escape sequence for attribute values. The escape sequence allows the subsequent values in the attribute to be interpreted as a literal.

## XAML Attribute Usage

```xaml
<object property="{} literalValue" .../>
```

## XAML Property Element Usage

```xaml
<object>
  <object.property>
    {} literalValue
  </object.property>
</object>
```

## XAML Values

|||
|-|-|
|*literalValue*|The literal string that follows the escape sequence. Typically this string contains an open or close brace ({ or }).|

## Remarks

The escape sequence ({}) is used so that an open brace ({) can be used as a literal character in XAML.

XAML readers typically use the open brace ({) to denote the entry point of a markup extension; however, they first check the next character to determine whether it is a closing brace (}). Only when the two braces ({}) are adjacent, are they considered an escape sequence.

If the escape sequence is encountered, the XAML reader should process the remainder of the string as a string. However, if the escape sequence is applied to a member that has a type converter, the string might undergo type conversion when it is interpreted by a XAML writer.

The escape sequence is not a markup extension and is not backed by a class. However, it is a convention that XAML readers (including custom XAML readers) should respect.

A quotation mark (") cannot be used as an escape sequence in this manner. If you need to set a quotation mark as a property value for a noncontent property, use property element syntax and place the quotation mark as a string inside the property element, or use an XML character entity. For a content property, the quotation mark can be the entire content.

The escape sequence ({}) is frequently required when specifying an XML type that must include a namespace qualifier in a location where a XAML markup extension might appear. This location includes the start of a XAML attribute value, and in a markup extension immediately after an equal sign (=). The following example shows escape sequences for an XML namespace that appears at the start of a XAML attribute value.

[!code-xaml[XLINQExample#StackPanelResources](~/samples/snippets/csharp/VS_Snippets_Wpf/XLinqExample/CSharp/Window1.xaml#stackpanelresources)]

## See also

- [Type Converters and Markup Extensions for XAML](type-converters-and-markup-extensions.md)
- [XML Character Entities and XAML](xml-character-entities.md)