Collections of Game Objects - Learning C# by Programming Games - page 185

12.9.1 Strings: A Special Kind of Array

The string class has a lot of similarities to an array: it consists of a list of characters,
it has a length, and we can access the individual characters using brackets, just like
an array. The string class has among others the following methods and properties:
•

int Length : determines the length of the string;

• string SubString( int x, int y) : selects a part of the string indicated by two positions

and returns it as a result;

• string Concat( object s) : glues a second string behind it, and returns it as a result.

If the parameter is something other than a string, the method To S t r i n g is called on
the object first.

• bool Equals( string s) : compares the string character-by-character to another string

and yields true if all characters are the same;

•

int IndexOf( string s) : determines at which spot s in this appears for the first time;

•

string Insert( int p, string s) : insert s into the string at position p .
In all cases where a string is returned as a result, it is a new string. The original
string is not changed in any way. This is a conscious choice by the designers of the
class. The string type is immutable , in other words: once an object of that type is
created it cannot be modified anymore. Of course it is possible to make a modified
copy , which is exactly what SubString , Concat and Insert do.
Apart from methods, the string class also defines operators.

• The + operator with a left string argument does exactly the same as the Concat

method. This allows concatenating strings as "Hello"+ name .