Strings in Visual Basic

In this part of the Visual Basic tutorial, we will work with string data in more detail.
Strings are the most important data types in computer languages. That is why we dedicate a whole chapter to working with strings in Visual Basic.

First example

A string literal is the notation for representing a string value within the text of a computer program. In Visual Basic string literals are enclosed by double quotes. A string in Visual Basic is a sequence of Unicode characters.

Option Strict On


Module Example

    Sub Main()

        Dim str1 As String = "There are 10"
        Dim str2 As String = " apples"
        
        Console.WriteLine(str1 + str2)
        
        Console.WriteLine("The length of the first string is " _
            + str1.Length.ToString() + " characters")
        
    End Sub

End Module

In the preceding example, we create two string variables. Then we add them and compute the length of the first string.

Dim str1 As String = "There are 10"

A string variable is declared and initiated.

Console.WriteLine(str1 + str2)

Two strings are concatenated. We use the + operator to add two strings.

Console.WriteLine("The length of the first string is " _
    + str1.Length.ToString() + " characters")

The Length property is used to determine the length of the string.

$ ./basics.exe 
There are 10 apples
The length of the first string is 12 characters

Running the example gives this result.

Using quotes

Double quotes are used to create a string literal in Visual Basic. What if we wanted to display quotes, for example in a direct speech? To print a double quote, it must be preceded by another double quote.

Option Strict On


Module Example

    Sub Main()

        Console.WriteLine("There are many stars.")
        Console.WriteLine("He said, ""Which one is your favourite?""")

    End Sub

End Module

When printing double quotes to the console, they must be preceded by another double quote.

Console.WriteLine("He said, ""Which one is your favourite?""")

Here we show, how to print a direct speech to the console. If we did not use two double quotes, the compiler would be misled. It would see two consecutive strings.

$ ./quotes.exe 
There are many stars.
He said, "Which one is your favourite?"

Output.

Multiline strings

It is possible to create a multiline string in Visual Basic.

Option Strict On

Module Example

    Sub Main()

        Dim multiString As String = "I cheated myself" + vbNewLine + _
"like I knew I would" + vbNewLine + _
"I told ya, I was trouble" + vbNewLine + _
"you know that I'm no good"

        Console.WriteLine(multiString)
        
    End Sub

End Module

The example creates a string that spans several lines. We use a line continuation character, a plus operator and a vbNewLine display constant.

$ ./multiline.exe 
I cheated myself
like I knew I would
I told ya, I was trouble
you know that I'm no good

This text is displayed in four lines. All the text was assigned to one string variable.

Comparing strings

Option Strict On

Module Example

    Sub Main()

        Console.WriteLine("12" = "12") 'Returns True
        Console.WriteLine("17" < "9") ' Returns True
        Console.WriteLine("aa" > "ab") ' Returns False

    End Sub

End Module

Comparison operators work differently in a string context.

Console.WriteLine("17" < "9") 'Returns True

17 is not smaller than 9. But when applying < on two strings, we do not compare numbers. We compare the sorting order of the characters. 1 is before 9 and is therefore has a 'lower position' and the comparison returns True.

Console.WriteLine("aa" > "ab") ' Returns False

If the first two characters are equal, the operation continues on the following ones. The a character is before the b, and the comparison operation returns False.

---

There is a String.Compare() method, which compares two specified strings and returns an integer that indicates their relative position in the sort order. If the returned value is less than zero, the first string is less than the second. If it returns zero, both strings are equal. Finally, if the returned value is greater than zero, the first string is greater than the second.

Option Strict On

Module Example

    Sub Main()

        Dim str1 As String = "Visual Basic"
        Dim str2 As String = "visual basic"
        
        Console.WriteLine(String.Compare(str1, str2, True))
        Console.WriteLine(String.Compare(str1, str2, False))
        
    End Sub

End Module

There is an optional third ignoreCase argument, that determines, if the case should be honored or not.

Console.WriteLine(String.Compare(str1, str2, True))

Compare two strings and ignore the case. This line prints 0 to the console.

---

There is a Like operator, which can be used for simple regular expression matching.

Option Strict On

Module Example
 
    Dim words() As String = {"Seven", "even", "Maven", "Amen", "Leven"}

    Sub Main()

        For Each word As String In words
            If word Like "?*even" Then
                Console.WriteLine("{0} matches the pattern", word)
            Else
                Console.WriteLine("{0} does not match the pattern", word)
            End If
        Next

    End Sub

End Module

We have an array of words. We will test these words against the regex pattern. We will print a message to the console, if the words matches or not.

Dim words() As String = {"Seven", "even", "Maven", "Amen", "Leven"}

This is an array of five words.

For Each word As String In words
    ...
Next

We use the For Each loop to traverse the array. The current word is stored in the word variable.

If word Like ".*even" Then
    Console.WriteLine("{0} matches the pattern", word)
Else
    Console.WriteLine("{0} does not match the pattern", word)
End If

The "?*even" is a simple regular expression pattern. The ? matches any single character, the * zero or more characters. We print a message to inform if the word matches the pattern or not.

String functions

Visual Basic has useful built-in functions that can be used for working with strings.

Option Strict On

Module Example

    Sub Main()

        Dim str As String = "Visual Basic"
        
        Dim n As Integer = Len(str)
        Dim l As String = Left(str, 6)
        Dim r As String = Right(str, 5)
        Dim repl As String = Replace(str, "Basic", "form")

        Console.WriteLine("The string has {0} characters", n)
        Console.WriteLine("The Left function returns {0}", l)
        Console.WriteLine("The Right function returs {0}", r)
        Console.WriteLine("The Replace function returns {0}", repl)

    End Sub

End Module

We introduce four string functions in Visual Basic.

Dim n As Integer = Len(str)

The Len() function returns the number of characters in a string.

Dim l As String = Left(str, 6)

This call of the Left() function returns 6 characters from the left of the string. In our case, "Visual".

Dim r As String = Right(str, 5)

Here we get 5 characters from the right.

Dim repl As String = Replace(str, "Basic", "form")

Strings are immutable in Visual Basic. When we use the Replace() function, we return a new modified string, in which the first string is replaced with the second one.

$ ./strfunc.exe 
The string has 12 characters
The Left function returns Visual
The Right function returs Basic
The Replace function returns Visual form

Running the example gives the preceding result.

---

The Join() and Split()functions are very handy functions.

Option Strict On

Imports System


Module Example

    Sub Main()
    
        Dim items() As String = {"C#", "Visual Basic", "Java", "Perl"}

        Dim langs As String = Join(items, ",")
        Console.WriteLine(langs)
   
        Dim ls() As String = Split(langs, ",")

        For Each lang As String In ls
            Console.WriteLine(lang)
        Next
        
    End Sub

End Module

In our program, we will join and split strings with these two functions.

Dim langs As String = Join(items, ",")

All words from the array are joined. We build one string from them. There will be a comma character between each two words.

Dim ls() As String = Split(langs, ",")

As a reverse operation, we split the langs string. The Split() function returns an array of words, delimited by a character. In our case it is a comma character.

For Each lang As String In ls
    Console.WriteLine(lang)
Next

We go through the array and print its elements.

$ ./joinsplit.exe 
C#,Visual Basic,Java,Perl
C#
Visual Basic
Java
Perl

Output of the example.

String methods

Apart from string functions, there are several string methods. Some of them provide the same functionality. As we have already mentioned, strings are not primitive data types. They are reference types. They are objects and these objects have methods, which can do some work.

Option Strict On

Imports System


Module Example

    Sub Main()
        
        Dim str As String = "Determination"
    
        Console.WriteLine(str.Contains("e"))
        Console.WriteLine(str.IndexOf("e"))
        Console.WriteLine(str.LastIndexOf("i"))

        Console.WriteLine(str.ToUpper)
        Console.WriteLine(str.ToLower)
        
    End Sub

End Module

We introduce five string methods in the above example.

Console.WriteLine(str.Contains("e"))

The Contains() method returns True if the string contains a specific character.

Console.WriteLine(str.IndexOf("e"))

The IndexOf returns the first index of a letter in the string.

Console.WriteLine(str.LastIndexOf("i"))

The LastIndexOf() methods returns the last index of a letter in a string.

Console.WriteLine(str.ToUpper)
Console.WriteLine(str.ToLower)

Letters of the string are converted to uppercase with the ToUpper method and to lowercase with the ToLower method.

$ ./strmethods.exe 
True
1
10
DETERMINATION
determination

Running the program.

Copy vs Clone

We will describe a difference between two methods. Copy and Clone. The Copy() method creates a new instance of String with the same value as a specified String. The Clone() method returns a reference to the string, which is being cloned. It is not an independent copy of the string on the Heap. It is another reference on the same string.

Option Strict On


Module Example

    Sub Main()

        Dim str As String = "Visual Basic"
        
        Dim cloned As String = CType(str.Clone(), String)
        Dim copied As String = String.Copy(str)

        Console.WriteLine(str = cloned) ' Prints True
        Console.WriteLine(str = copied) ' Prints True
        
        Console.WriteLine(str Is cloned) ' Prints True
        Console.WriteLine(str Is copied) ' Prints False
        
        
    End Sub

End Module

Our example demonstrates the difference between the two methods.

Dim cloned As String = CType(str.Clone(), String)
Dim copied As String = String.Copy(str)

The string value is cloned and copied.

Console.WriteLine(str = cloned) ' Prints True
Console.WriteLine(str = copied) ' Prints True

The contents of all three strings are the same.

Console.WriteLine(str Is cloned) ' Prints True
Console.WriteLine(str Is copied) ' Prints False

The Is operator compares the two reference objects. Therefore comparing a copied string to the original string returns False. Because they are two distinct objects.

Formatting strings

In the next examples, we will format strings. The .NET Framework has a feature called composite formatting. It is supported by Format() and WriteLine() methods. A method takes a list of objects and a composite format string as input. The format string consists of fixed string plus some format items. These format items are indexed placeholders which correspond to the objects in the list.
The format item has the following syntax:

{index[,length][:formatString]}

The index component is mandatory. It is a number starting from 0 that refers to an item from the list of objects. Multiple items can refer to the same element of the list of objects. An object is ignored, if it is not referenced by a format item. If we refer outside the bounds of the list of objects, a runtime exception is thrown.
The length component is optional. It is the minimum number of characters in the string representation of the parameter. If positive, the parameter is right-aligned; if negative, it is left-aligned. If it is specified, there must by a colon separating the index and the length.
The formatString is optional. It is a string that formats a value is a specific way. It can be used to format dates, times, numbers or enumerations.
Here we show, how to work with length component of the format items. We print three columns of numbers to the terminal. Left, middle and right aligned.

Option Strict On

Imports System


Module Example

    Dim oranges As Byte = 2 
    Dim apples As Byte = 4
    Dim bananas As Byte = 3

    Sub Main()
    
        Dim str1 As String = "There are {0} oranges, {1} apples and " + _
            "{2} bananas"

        Dim str2 As String = "There are {1} oranges, {2} bananas and " + _
            "{0} apples"
            
        Console.WriteLine(str1, oranges, apples, bananas)
        Console.WriteLine(str2, apples, oranges, bananas)
        
    End Sub

End Module

We print a simple message to the console. We use only index component of the format item.

Dim str1 As String = "There are {0} oranges, {1} apples and " + _
    "{2} bananas"

The {0}, {1}, and {2} are format items. We specify the index component. Other components are optional.

Console.WriteLine(str1, oranges, apples, bananas)

Now we put together the composite formatting. We have the string and the list of objects (oranges, apples, bananas). The {0} format item refers to the oranges. The WriteLine() method replaces the {0} format item with the contents of the oranges variable.

Dim str2 As String = "There are {1} oranges, {2} bananas and " + _
    "{0} apples"

The order of the format items referring to the objects is notation important.

$ ./format1.exe 
There are 2 oranges, 4 apples and 3 bananas
There are 2 oranges, 3 bananas and 4 apples

---

Option Strict On

Module Example

    Sub Main()
    
        Console.WriteLine("{0}  {1, 12}", _
            "Decimal", "Hexadecimal")

        Console.WriteLine("{0:D}  {1,8:X}", _ 
            502, 546)
        Console.WriteLine("{0:D}  {1,8:X}", _
            345, 765)
        Console.WriteLine("{0:D}  {1,8:X}", _
            320, 654)
        Console.WriteLine("{0:D}  {1,8:X}", _
            120, 834)
        Console.WriteLine("{0:D}  {1,8:X}", _
            620, 454)
        
    End Sub

End Module

We print numbers in a decimal and hexadecimal format. We also align the numbers using the length component.

Console.WriteLine("{0:D}  {1,8:X}", _ 
    502, 546)

The {0:D} format item specifies, the first item from the list of supplied objects will be taken and formatted in the decimal format. The {1,8:X} format item takes the second item. Formats it in the hexadecimal format (:X). And the string length will be 8 characters (,8). Because the number has only three characters, it is right aligned and padded with empty strings.

$ ./format2.exe 
Decimal   Hexadecimal
502       222
345       2FD
320       28E
120       342
620       1C6

Running the example.

---

The last two examples will format numeric and date data.

Option Strict On

Module Example

    Sub Main()

        Console.WriteLine(String.Format("Number: {0:N}", 126))
        Console.WriteLine(String.Format("Scientific: {0:E}", 126))
        Console.WriteLine(String.Format("Currency: {0:C}", 126))
        Console.WriteLine(String.Format("Percent: {0:P}", 126))
        Console.WriteLine(String.Format("Hexadecimal: {0:X}", 126))
        
    End Sub

End Module

The example demonstrates the standard formatting specifiers for numbers. Number 126 is printed in five different formats; normal, scientific, currency, percent and hexadecimal.

$ ./format3.exe 
Number: 126.00
Scientific: 1.260000E+002
Currency: $126.00
Percent: 12,600.00 %
Hexadecimal: 7E

Output.

---

Finally, we will format date and time data.

Option Strict On


Module Example

    Sub Main()
    
        Dim today As DateTime = DateTime.Now()

        Console.WriteLine(String.Format("Short date: {0:d}", today))
        Console.WriteLine(String.Format("Login date: {0:D}", today))
        Console.WriteLine(String.Format("Short time: {0:t}", today))
        Console.WriteLine(String.Format("Long time: {0:T}", today))
        Console.WriteLine(String.Format("Month: {0:M}", today))
        Console.WriteLine(String.Format("Year: {0:Y}", today))
        
    End Sub

End Module

The preceding example demonstrates the standard formatting specifiers for dates.

$ ./format4.exe 
Short date: 8/18/2010
Login date: Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Short time: 11:29 PM
Long time: 11:29:40 PM
Month: August 18
Year: August, 2010

Output.
This part of the Visual Basic tutorial covered strings.