Convert Emoji into Text in Python

In Python, emojis can be converted into text using different approaches. You can use emoji module, regular expression, and custom mapping. In this tutorial, we'll explore these three approaches to convert emojis into text using Python.

Understanding Emojis and Unicode

Emojis are standardized by the Unicode Consortium, which assigns a unique code point to each emoji. This ensures consistent representation across different platforms and devices. In Python, emojis can be handled using their Unicode representation, allowing us to manipulate and convert them as needed.

Installing Necessary Libraries

To work with emojis in Python, we'll use some external libraries. These can be installed using pip, the Python package manager.

pip install emoji regex

Approach 1: Using emoji Library

The emoji library provides a simple and effective way to convert emojis to their textual descriptions. This library includes functions to demojize (convert emojis to text) and emojize (convert text to emojis).

Example

import emoji

# Sample text with emojis
text_with_emojis = 'I love Python! '

# Convert emojis to text
text_with_text = emoji.demojize(text_with_emojis)

print('Original Text:', text_with_emojis)
print('Text with Emojis Converted to Text:', text_with_text)

Output

Original Text: I love Python! 
Text with Emojis Converted to Text: I love Python! :smiling_face_with_smiling_eyes::snake:

Approach 2: Using Regular Expressions

Regular expressions (regex) provide a powerful way to search and manipulate strings based on patterns. We can use regex to identify and replace emojis with their textual descriptions. This approach requires a good understanding of regex syntax and patterns.

Example

import re

# Define a function to convert emoji to text using regex
def emoji_to_text(text):
   emoji_pattern = re.compile(
      '[-'  # emoticons
      '-'  # symbols & pictographs
      '-'  # transport & map symbols
      '-'  # alchemical symbols
      '-'  # Geometric Shapes Extended
      '-'  # Supplemental Arrows-C
      '-'  # Supplemental Symbols and Pictographs
      '-'  # Chess Symbols
      '-'  # Symbols and Pictographs Extended-A
      ']+',
      flags=re.UNICODE,
   )
   return emoji_pattern.sub(r'', text)

# Sample text with emojis
text_with_emojis = 'I love Python! '

# Convert emojis to text
text_without_emojis = emoji_to_text(text_with_emojis)

print('Original Text:', text_with_emojis)
print('Text without Emojis:', text_without_emojis)

Output

Original Text: I love Python! 
Text without Emojis: I love Python!

Approach 3: Custom Mapping

For a more controlled and customizable solution, we can create our own dictionary to map emojis to their textual descriptions. This approach gives us full control over the conversion process and allows us to handle specific emojis as needed.

Example

# Custom emoji-to-text mapping dictionary
emoji_dict = {
   '': ':smiling_face_with_smiling_eyes:',
   '': ':snake:',
   # Add more emojis and their textual descriptions here
}

# Define a function to replace emojis using the custom dictionary
def custom_emoji_to_text(text):
   for emoji_char, emoji_desc in emoji_dict.items():
      text = text.replace(emoji_char, emoji_desc)
   return text

# Sample text with emojis
text_with_emojis = 'I love Python! '

# Convert emojis to text
text_with_custom_mapping = custom_emoji_to_text(text_with_emojis)

print('Original Text:', text_with_emojis)
print('Text with Custom Emoji Mapping:', text_with_custom_mapping)

Output

Original Text: I love Python! 
Text with Custom Emoji Mapping: I love Python! :smiling_face_with_smiling_eyes::snake:

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we explored three different approaches to convert emojis into text using Python. We used the emoji library for a straightforward solution, regular expressions for a more flexible approach, and custom mapping for full control over the conversion process. Each method has its own advantages and can be chosen based on the specific requirements of your project.