Using NSString

Mutable vs. Immutable Strings

NSMutableString – Should be used when you are physically changing the value of an existing string, without completely discarding the old value (i.e. adding a character to the beginning or end, modifying a character in the middle etc).

NSString – Can never be changed after it has been created, only overwritten with a completly new string.  Most NSStrings (including @”Constant Strings”) are autoreleased.  NStrings occupy a fixed number of bytes in memory and are the most efficient.

NSLocalizedString – Return a localized version of a string

Guides

iOS Developer

Create A NSString

    //Create a string
    NSString *MyStringName1 = @"Hello";

    //Create new NSString from another string
    NSString *MyStringName2 = [MyStringName1 stringByAppendingString:@", world!"];

Create NSString From Part Of NSString

    NSString *source = @"0123456789";
    NSString *firstFour = [source substringToIndex:4];
    // firstFour is @"0123"

    NSString *allButFirstThree = [source substringFromIndex:3];
    // allButFirstThree is @"3456789"

    NSRange twoToSixRange = NSMakeRange(2, 4);
    NSString *twoToSix = [source substringWithRange:twoToSixRange];
   // twoToSix is @"2345"

Modifying a NSString

Use stringByAppendingString:
This adds a string to an existing one and returns a new string. (Underneath NSString copies the old string to a new larger memory location, adds the argument and returns the new string.

    NSString *MyString;
    MyString = [[MyArray objectAtIndex:0] stringByAppendingString:@"1234"];
    MyString = [MyString stringByAppendingString:@"5678"];

Add Variable to String

    TempString = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"%d days ago ", days]];

    if ([MyStringName length] > 0)

Convert String To Variable

    MyIntValue = [MyString intValue];      //Will equal 0 if string is not numeric

    MyBoolValue = [MyString boolValue];      //Converts MyString to BOOL

NSString intialisation with NSMutableString

	MyNSString = [NSString stringWithString:MyNSMutableString];
	//Doing this instead means you can now release or change MyNSMutableString without affecting MyNSString
	[MyNSMutableString release];

Does String Equal

    if ([MyStringName isEqual:@"SomeText"])

(Don’t use “==”)

Does String Contain

    if ([MyStringToCheck rangeOfString:@".mov" options:(NSCaseInsensitiveSearch)].location != NSNotFound)
    {
        //Yes it does contain string
    }

Modify The End Of A String

	NSRange EndRange = [MediaFileName rangeOfString:@".MOV"];
	if (EndRange.length > 0)
	{
		MediaFileName = [MediaFileName substringToIndex:EndRange.location];
		MediaFileName = [MediaFileName stringByAppendingString:@".mov"];
	}

Get Characters Between Markers Within String

	NSString *SourceString = @"[START]12345[END]";
	NSString *SubString;
	NSRange StartRange = [SourceString rangeOfString:@"[START]"];
	NSRange EndRange = [SourceString rangeOfString:@"[END]"];
	if ((StartRange.length > 0) && (EndRange.length > 0))
	{
		NSRange SubStringRange = NSMakeRange((StartRange.location + StartRange.length), (EndRange.location - (StartRange.location + StartRange.length)));
		SubString = [SourceString substringWithRange:SubStringRange];
	}
	else
	{
		SubString = @"";
	}

Convert Strings

	NSString *MyNewString1 = [MyOtherString lowercaseString];
	NSString *MyNewString2 = [MyOtherString uppercaseString];
	NSString *MyNewString2 = [MyOtherString capitalizedString];

Replace Characters In String

	CellMainLabel = [CellMainLabel stringByReplacingOccurrencesOfString:@"THE " withString:@""];

Get Character In String

	if ([MyString characterAtIndex:1]  == @"2")

Remove Whitespace From String

	MyString = [MyString stringByTrimmingCharactersInSet:[NSCharacterSet whitespaceAndNewlineCharacterSet]];

Convert NSString to ASCII value

	NSString *MyString = @"A";
	int asciiCode = [MyString characterAtIndex:0];	//=65

Convert ASCII value to NSString

	int asciiValue = 65;
	NSString *string = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"%c", asciiValue];	//="A"

NSString Being Released

NSStrings are autoreleased. If you are using one as a global object for instance you often need to retain it when setting its value to stop this happening:

	[MyString retain];

or if you are using ARC for memory management:

@interface ...
{
	NSString *MyString;
}
@property (nonatomic, retain) NSMutableString *characterAtIndex;

@synthesize MyString;

Then use it like this:

	self.MyString - 

Create String From String

	name = [NSString stringWithString:name];