string

Struct · built-in type

struct string : IComparable<string>, IEquatable<string>, IHashable

A string: immutable UTF-8 text.

string name = "Ann";
string greeting = "Hello, " + name + "!";
if (greeting.Contains("Ann") && greeting[0] == 'H')
    Console.WriteLine(greeting.ToUpper());

Strings are values with reference semantics: assigning one shares the text (reference counted), and since a string cannot be changed, that is never visible. == compares the text, + joins, $"x = {x}" interpolates. s[i] is the byte at position i (a char), s[i..j] a StringSlice (a view, nothing is copied). Positions and lengths are byte offsets.

Most methods are in the namespace String (s.Trim() is String.Trim(s)); a string converts to a StringSlice for free.

Fields

Name	Description
Length	The length in bytes (not in characters: UTF-8 uses 1 to 4 bytes per character).

Length

int Length

The length in bytes (not in characters: UTF-8 uses 1 to 4 bytes per character).

Static methods

Name	Description
FromCStr	A string from a C string (unsafe): the bytes up to the first 0 byte are copied.
FromBytes	A string from bytes (UTF-8); they are copied as they are.

FromCStr

static string FromCStr(char* text)

A string from a C string (unsafe): the bytes up to the first 0 byte are copied.

FromBytes

static string FromBytes(uint8[] bytes)

A string from bytes (UTF-8); they are copied as they are.

static string FromBytes(uint8[] bytes, int start, int count)

A string from count bytes of bytes, starting at start.

Panics when the range is not inside of the array.

Methods

Name	Description
Substring	A copy of the count bytes from start (s[start..start + count].ToString() is the same).
ToString	The string itself.
Clone	A copy of the string in a new block of memory (e.g. to keep a part of a large text without keeping all of it).
CStr	A pointer to the bytes, followed by a 0 byte, for C functions (unsafe).
AsBytes	The bytes of the string (UTF-8) as a view, for functions that take bytes: stream.Write(text.AsBytes()); nothing is copied.
Equals	Whether the strings have the same bytes (also a == b).
CompareTo	Compares the bytes (ordinal, no locale): negative, 0 or positive.
GetHashCode	A hash code of the text, for Dictionary keys.

Substring

string Substring(int start, int count)

A copy of the count bytes from start (s[start..start + count].ToString() is the same).

Panics when the range is not inside of the string.

string Substring(int start)

A copy of the text from start to the end.

Panics when start is not in 0 to Length.

ToString

string ToString()

The string itself.

Clone

string Clone()

A copy of the string in a new block of memory (e.g. to keep a part of a large text without keeping all of it).

CStr

char* CStr()

A pointer to the bytes, followed by a 0 byte, for C functions (unsafe). It stays valid while the string lives.

AsBytes

ReadOnlySlice<uint8> AsBytes()

The bytes of the string (UTF-8) as a view, for functions that take bytes: stream.Write(text.AsBytes()); nothing is copied. (A string converts to ReadOnlySlice<char> by itself.)

Equals

bool Equals(string other)

Whether the strings have the same bytes (also a == b).

CompareTo

int CompareTo(string other)

Compares the bytes (ordinal, no locale): negative, 0 or positive.

GetHashCode

int GetHashCode()

A hash code of the text, for Dictionary keys.