C++ Strings
A string is a piece of text, such as a name, a message, or a whole sentence. C++ stores text in a handy type called string, which lets you hold and work with words as easily as you work with numbers.
Creating strings
To use strings in C++ you include the <string> library. Then you can declare a variable of type string and put text inside double quotes. That text is called a string literal.
Your first string
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
using namespace std;
int main() {
string greeting = "Hello, world!";
cout << greeting << "\n";
return 0;
}You can create an empty string and fill it later, or change a string's contents at any time by assigning new text to it. Strings are flexible and can grow or shrink as needed, unlike a fixed block of characters.
Changing a string
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
using namespace std;
int main() {
string name = "Ada";
cout << "Before: " << name << "\n";
name = "Grace"; // replace the whole value
cout << "After: " << name << "\n";
return 0;
}- Include <string> to use the string type
- Text goes inside double quotes: "like this"
- Single quotes like 'A' are for one character, not a string
- A string can be empty, one letter, or a whole paragraph
String basics
Note: The string type comes from the C++ Standard Library. Writing using namespace std; lets you type string instead of the longer std::string. Both mean the same thing.
Exercise: C++ Strings
What must you do to use std::string in a C++ program?
