C2001
Visual C++ Programming Language
Severity: MinorWhat Does This Error Mean?
C2001 means a string literal (text between double quotes) accidentally spans more than one line. The compiler expects a string to open and close on the same line unless you use a raw string or a line continuation. The most common cause is a missing closing double quote that makes the rest of the file look like it is inside the string.
Affected Models
- Visual Studio 2015–2022
- MSVC v14.x / v17.x
Common Causes
- A closing double quote was accidentally deleted from a string literal
- A string literal was written across two lines without a line-continuation backslash
- An escaped quote inside a string was written incorrectly, ending the string early and leaving dangling text
- A multi-line string was attempted using newline characters instead of escape sequences
How to Fix It
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Find the string literal at or before the reported line number and check that it has both an opening and a closing double quote on the same line.
When a closing quote is missing, the compiler reads all subsequent source code as part of the string until the next unescaped quote. This often generates C2001 many lines below the actual mistake.
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To include a newline inside a string, use the \n escape sequence within the string instead of pressing Enter: const char* msg = "Line 1\nLine 2";
In C++, a regular string literal must be on one logical line. The \n escape sequence represents a newline character without breaking the source line.
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For long strings that must span multiple lines in source code, use string literal concatenation: place two string literals adjacent to each other and the compiler joins them.
Example: const char* s = "first part" "second part"; The compiler concatenates adjacent string literals automatically — no operator needed.
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For strings containing many special characters (such as file paths or regex patterns), use a C++11 raw string: R"(no escaping needed here \n is literal)"
Raw strings start with R"( and end with )" and treat all characters literally — no escape processing. Useful for regular expressions, Windows paths, and JSON snippets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does C2001 appear on a line that looks completely normal?
A missing closing quote many lines earlier causes the compiler to read all that intervening code as part of the string. When it finally hits a quote character that was intended for something else, it thinks the string ended there and then finds the remaining code makes no sense. Look for the first C2001 and trace back to find the unclosed string.
Does C2001 appear for character literals as well as string literals?
Yes — a character literal (single quotes) that spans a line also causes C2001. However, character literals are typically single characters, so a missing closing quote is more obvious.