i am using python 2.6.5 to develop an app for google app engine - i am not too familiar with python, but i'm learning.

i am trying to put a url into a string so variable = "string <http://domain.name>"

then i print the string out. the problem is, if the colon (after http) is in the string, i don't get any output and i don't know why.

i've tried escaping the string with:

* """http://domain.name"""
* r"http://domain.name"
* "http\://domain.name"
* "http\://domain.name"
* "http\\://domain.name"
* "http:://domain.name"

none of them seem to work and i'm not sure what else to try

The context is like so

variables.py is:

```
...
HOST_URL = "http://domain.name"
...

```

example logout.py

```
import variables
import sys

...

class Logout(webapp.RequestHandler):
    """ RequestHandler for when a user wishes to logout from the system."""
    def post(self):
        self.get()

    def get(self):
        print(variables.HOST_URL)
        print('hi')
        self.redirect(variables.HOST_URL)
        sys.exit()

```

or

in file functions.py

```
import variables
import sys

...

def sendhome(requesthandler)
    print 'go to '+variables.HOST_URL
    requesthandler.redirect(variables.HOST_URL)
    sys.exit()

```

called from a context like:

```
from functions import sendhome

...

class Logout(webapp.RequestHandler):
    """ RequestHandler for when a user wishes to logout from the system."""
    def post(self):
        self.get()

    def get(self):
        sendhome(self)

```

any help would be appreciated

thanks