Django filters, needed when creating LaTeX files with the django template language

tex.py

# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
'''
Django filters, needed when creating LaTeX files with the django template language
'''
from django.template.defaultfilters import stringfilter, register
from django.template.loader import render_to_string

@register.filter
@stringfilter
def brackets(value):
    '''
    surrounds the value with { }
    You have to use this filter whenever you would need something like
    {{{ field }}} in a template.
    '''
    return "{%s}" % value


REPLACEMENTS = {
    u"§": u"\\textsection{}",
    u"$": u"\\textdollar{}",
    u"LaTeX": u"\\LaTeX \\ ",
    u" TeX": u" \\TeX \\ ",
    u"€": u"\\euro",
    }

ESCAPES = ("&", "{", "}", "%")

@register.filter
@stringfilter
def texify(value):
    '''
    escapes/replaces special character with appropriate latex commands
    '''
    tex_value = []
    # escape special symbols
    for char in value:
        tex_value.append(u"%s" % ("\\%s" % char if char in ESCAPES else char))
    tex_value = "".join(tex_value)
    # replace symbols / words with latex commands
    for key, value in REPLACEMENTS.items():
        tex_value = tex_value.replace(key, value)
    return u"%s" % tex_value

Thank you!