String (Standard - JavaScript)

Represents a string.

Defined in

Usage

Strings can be formed as follows:

Literal string, formed by placing characters in double or single quotes.
Variable whose value is a string primitive, formed by assigning a string literal, another string variable, or a string expression.
Object of type String, formed by creating a new String object or assigning a String object.

Server-side JavaScript gives string primitives and literals access to String methods. You can follow a string primitive or literal with a period and the name of a String method. The interpreter wraps the primitive or literal in a temporary object.

A string object is evaluated as a single string, while a string primitive or literal is parsed. For example, "2 + 2" is just that as an object but the number 4 as a primitive or literal.

Index means the position of a character in a string. The first index is 0. The last index is the length of the string minus 1.

Examples

(1) In the following code, all three print statements result in PARIS MOSCOW TOKYO. Primitives and literals can use the String methods.

function p(stuff) {
 	print("<<<" + stuff + ">>>");
}

var cities : String;
var cities2 : string;

try {
	cities = new String("Paris   Moscow   Tokyo"); // String object
	cities2 = "Paris   Moscow   Tokyo"; // string primitive
	p(cities.toUpperCase());
	p(cities2.toUpperCase()); // string primitive can use String methods
	p('Paris   Moscow   Tokyo'.toUpperCase()); // string literal can use String methods
	
} catch(e) {
	p("Error = " + e);
}

(2) This example demonstrates the difference between evaluating a string literal (or primitive) and a String object.

requestScope.y = eval("2 + 2"); // 4
requestScope.x = eval(new String("2 + 2")) // 2 + 2