C# - String or string

[Goldy]

Hi,

What exactly is the difference between declaring a string variable with the lower case version of string as opposed to String with a cap S? Whats the upper case 'String' for?

Thanks,

 

[Deanje]

Absolutely no difference, string is just an alias for System.String.

I think the recommendation is to use string, however, but it's purely stylistic.

 

[Stelly]

string is an alias for System.String. So technically, there is no difference. It's like int vs. System.Int32.

As far as guidelines, I think it's generally recommended to use string any time you're referring to an object.

e.g. string place = "world";

Stelly

 

[GravyMonster]

I think the above have answered the question, but my personal preference is to use 'string' when dealing with the type, and 'String' when dealing with functions of the type. Eg:

string foo = "ABC"; // should really use var here and let the compiler determine the type, but for examples' sake...
string bar = "XZY";

var otherString = String.Format("Foo: {0}, Bar: {1}", foo, bar);

 

[Deanje]

I think the above have answered the question, but my personal preference is to use 'string' when dealing with the type, and 'String' when dealing with functions of the type. Eg:

string foo = "ABC"; // should really use var here and let the compiler determine the type, but for examples' sake...
string bar = "XZY";

var otherString = String.Format("Foo: {0}, Bar: {1}", foo, bar);

Interestingly, while there are Microsoft provided examples on MSDN of the above practice, using String would throw a violation from StyleCop.

The particular violation being for not using built-in type alias'.

 

[GravyMonster]

IIRC resharper does too, although there's several things me and resharper disagree on, styling wise.

 

[Haircut]

I always use the aliases when I'm coding, though there are a few things that don't make too much sense for the aliases.
as an example Convert.ToInt64 returns something that I would define as a long, which doesn't feel quite right but I'll still stick to aliases.

 

[Goldy]

Thanks for clearing that up. They were working the same for my purposes.

 

[Gambisk]

string every time for me. Most style guides I've used say the same Rsharper and StyleCop

 

[AJK]

I always use the aliases when I'm coding, though there are a few things that don't make too much sense for the aliases.
as an example Convert.ToInt64 returns something that I would define as a long, which doesn't feel quite right but I'll still stick to aliases.

But a long is a 64-bit integer... not sure why that's confusing?

 

[Haircut]

But a long is a 64-bit integer... not sure why that's confusing?

It's not that it's confusing, but if the guidance is to use aliases in your code why is the method not called ToLong?
Especially when there are properties/methods called LongLength and LongCount() on the Array type and in LINQ respectively.

 

[Pho]

using WhyUseStringorstringWhenYouCanUseMegaString = System.String;

WhyUseStringorstringWhenYouCanUseMegaString awesome = "awesome";

Don't be a sheep .

 

[DanF]

meh

var moop = "your face";

Who needs string?

 

[Zhokel]

But a long is a 64-bit integer... not sure why that's confusing?

It is for me when going back and forth between c# and c++ seeing as c++ treats a long as a 32-bit integer
string all the way for me now, used to using String for method calling but stopped to just have uniformity I think? Was a while ago now and kinda stuck heh.

 

[oldbag]

I'd use String blah = "hahaha"; from Java, c# is supposed to be similar.

 

[azteched]

It is for me when going back and forth between c# and c++ seeing as c++ treats a long as a 32-bit integer

Except when it doesn't!-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/64-bit_computing#64-bit_data_models

 

[Zhokel]

Except when it doesn't!-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/64-bit_computing#64-bit_data_models

I've only developed with windows and msoft's compiler where a long is still 4bytes even in 64bit! XD But thanks for the link, interesting