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Why do people use an @ sign before a string?

Hello,

I have noticed in a few bits of code that people sometimes do things
like...

SomeFunction(@"a text string");

What is the purpose of the @ sign? I have seen it most when passing
connection strings (admittedly in example code, as connection strings
would be better stored elsewhere in a real app), but I don't think it's
related to that.

Anyone care to enlighten me? TIA

--
Alan Silver
(anything added below this line is nothing to do with me)
Nov 19 '05 #1
10 1972
The @ can shorten typing, as it states "This string is a literal". Example of
two equivalent strings:

string URL = @"http://msnd.microsoft.com/newsgroups";
string URL = "http:////msdn.microsoft.com//newsgroups";

In the second string, every whack has to be escaped.
---

Gregory A. Beamer
MVP; MCP: +I, SE, SD, DBA

***************************
Think Outside the Box!
***************************

"Alan Silver" wrote:
Hello,

I have noticed in a few bits of code that people sometimes do things
like...

SomeFunction(@"a text string");

What is the purpose of the @ sign? I have seen it most when passing
connection strings (admittedly in example code, as connection strings
would be better stored elsewhere in a real app), but I don't think it's
related to that.

Anyone care to enlighten me? TIA

--
Alan Silver
(anything added below this line is nothing to do with me)

Nov 19 '05 #2
>The @ can shorten typing, as it states "This string is a literal". Example of
two equivalent strings:

string URL = @"http://msnd.microsoft.com/newsgroups";
string URL = "http:////msdn.microsoft.com//newsgroups";

In the second string, every whack has to be escaped.
Ooh, ain't that clever!! I'm not sure why you need to double the / in
the second example though, is it used for something special? I thought
the backslash was, say for embedding a newline character.

How about embedding quotes, would this help?

Thanks for the reply.
***************************
Think Outside the Box!
When I grow big enough to see over the top, I'll try thinking!!
***************************

"Alan Silver" wrote:
Hello,

I have noticed in a few bits of code that people sometimes do things
like...

SomeFunction(@"a text string");

What is the purpose of the @ sign? I have seen it most when passing
connection strings (admittedly in example code, as connection strings
would be better stored elsewhere in a real app), but I don't think it's
related to that.

Anyone care to enlighten me? TIA

--
Alan Silver
(anything added below this line is nothing to do with me)


--
Alan Silver
(anything added below this line is nothing to do with me)
Nov 19 '05 #3
Yes, you are correct. I am sure Gregory meant that. Those should have been
backspaces such as a unc path.

You were asking about escaping string.

string s = "He said, \"No!\"";
string s = @"He said, ""No!""";

Notice the double double quotes.

bill

"Alan Silver" <al*********@nospam.thanx> wrote in message
news:uK**************@nospamthankyou.spam...
The @ can shorten typing, as it states "This string is a literal". Example oftwo equivalent strings:

string URL = @"http://msnd.microsoft.com/newsgroups";
string URL = "http:////msdn.microsoft.com//newsgroups";

In the second string, every whack has to be escaped.


Ooh, ain't that clever!! I'm not sure why you need to double the / in
the second example though, is it used for something special? I thought
the backslash was, say for embedding a newline character.

How about embedding quotes, would this help?

Thanks for the reply.
***************************
Think Outside the Box!


When I grow big enough to see over the top, I'll try thinking!!
***************************

"Alan Silver" wrote:
Hello,

I have noticed in a few bits of code that people sometimes do things
like...

SomeFunction(@"a text string");

What is the purpose of the @ sign? I have seen it most when passing
connection strings (admittedly in example code, as connection strings
would be better stored elsewhere in a real app), but I don't think it's
related to that.

Anyone care to enlighten me? TIA

--
Alan Silver
(anything added below this line is nothing to do with me)


--
Alan Silver
(anything added below this line is nothing to do with me)

Nov 19 '05 #4
Hello Alan,

@ means to take the string literally...

Take for example a file path:

string file = "c:\temp\foo.xml";

This will not be valid, since \t is actually a tab character. So, you have
a choice of either doing this:

string file = "c:\\temp\\foo.xml";

or

string file = @"c:\temp\foo.xml";

--
Matt Berther
http://www.mattberther.com
Hello,

I have noticed in a few bits of code that people sometimes do things
like...

SomeFunction(@"a text string");

What is the purpose of the @ sign? I have seen it most when passing
connection strings (admittedly in example code, as connection strings
would be better stored elsewhere in a real app), but I don't think
it's related to that.

Anyone care to enlighten me? TIA


Nov 19 '05 #5
>Yes, you are correct. I am sure Gregory meant that. Those should have been
backspaces such as a unc path.

You were asking about escaping string.

string s = "He said, \"No!\"";
string s = @"He said, ""No!""";

Notice the double double quotes.
But what do you gain in this case? You have substituted one escape
character for another. My first impression was that you could type a
string without escape characters at all. Your example doesn't give any
benefit for having the @.

Apart from string containing backslashes, is there any benefit of the @
notation?

Thanks for the reply
bill

"Alan Silver" <al*********@nospam.thanx> wrote in message
news:uK**************@nospamthankyou.spam...
>The @ can shorten typing, as it states "This string is a literal".Example of >two equivalent strings:
>
>string URL = @"http://msnd.microsoft.com/newsgroups";
>string URL = "http:////msdn.microsoft.com//newsgroups";
>
>In the second string, every whack has to be escaped.


Ooh, ain't that clever!! I'm not sure why you need to double the / in
the second example though, is it used for something special? I thought
the backslash was, say for embedding a newline character.

How about embedding quotes, would this help?

Thanks for the reply.
>***************************
>Think Outside the Box!


When I grow big enough to see over the top, I'll try thinking!!
>***************************
>
>"Alan Silver" wrote:
>
>> Hello,
>>
>> I have noticed in a few bits of code that people sometimes do things
>> like...
>>
>> SomeFunction(@"a text string");
>>
>> What is the purpose of the @ sign? I have seen it most when passing
>> connection strings (admittedly in example code, as connection strings
>> would be better stored elsewhere in a real app), but I don't think it's
>> related to that.
>>
>> Anyone care to enlighten me? TIA
>>
>> --
>> Alan Silver
>> (anything added below this line is nothing to do with me)
>>


--
Alan Silver
(anything added below this line is nothing to do with me)



--
Alan Silver
(anything added below this line is nothing to do with me)
Nov 19 '05 #6
> string file = "c:\temp\foo.xml";

This will not be valid, since \t is actually a tab character. So, you have
a choice of either doing this:


Is that in all of the .net languages or just some? I believe I am passing
all sorts of file paths with backslashes as strings without the @ in vb.net.
Maybe I just have been lucky and haven't stumbled on a 'slash caracter' pair
that's actually an escape of something?

-Darrel
Nov 19 '05 #7
Thanks Matt, that's a good example.
Hello Alan,

@ means to take the string literally...

Take for example a file path:

string file = "c:\temp\foo.xml";

This will not be valid, since \t is actually a tab character. So, you
have a choice of either doing this:

string file = "c:\\temp\\foo.xml";

or

string file = @"c:\temp\foo.xml";

--
Matt Berther
http://www.mattberther.com
Hello,
I have noticed in a few bits of code that people sometimes do things
like...
SomeFunction(@"a text string");
What is the purpose of the @ sign? I have seen it most when passing
connection strings (admittedly in example code, as connection strings
would be better stored elsewhere in a real app), but I don't think
it's related to that.
Anyone care to enlighten me? TIA



--
Alan Silver
(anything added below this line is nothing to do with me)
Nov 19 '05 #8
its a c# feature (i forget what language c# stole it from). vb does not use
\ as a quote char. beside making it easier to build filename straings, it
also allows the newline character so you can do:

string html =
@"<html>
<body>
</body>
</html>
";

-- bruce (sqlwork.com)
"darrel" <no*****@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:%2****************@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
| > string file = "c:\temp\foo.xml";
| >
| > This will not be valid, since \t is actually a tab character. So, you
have
| > a choice of either doing this:
|
| Is that in all of the .net languages or just some? I believe I am passing
| all sorts of file paths with backslashes as strings without the @ in
vb.net.
| Maybe I just have been lucky and haven't stumbled on a 'slash caracter'
pair
| that's actually an escape of something?
|
| -Darrel
|
|
Nov 19 '05 #9
Oh, you can also do this.

string script = @"
<script language=""javascript"">
function myFunction()
{
alert( 'hello world' );
}
";

or
string script = String.Format( @"
<script language=""javascript"">
function myFunction()
{
alert( document.all[""{0}""].value );
}
", myControl.ID );

It makes it more readable, it is purely a personal preference, so if you
don't want to use it, then don't. I use both with a '@' and without
depending on my usage and what I am going for.

string uncPath = "\\\\server1\\share\directory\\file.txt"
string uncPath = @\\server1\share\directory\file.txt

bill

"Alan Silver" <al*********@nospam.thanx> wrote in message
news:Xa**************@nospamthankyou.spam...
Yes, you are correct. I am sure Gregory meant that. Those should have beenbackspaces such as a unc path.

You were asking about escaping string.

string s = "He said, \"No!\"";
string s = @"He said, ""No!""";

Notice the double double quotes.


But what do you gain in this case? You have substituted one escape
character for another. My first impression was that you could type a
string without escape characters at all. Your example doesn't give any
benefit for having the @.

Apart from string containing backslashes, is there any benefit of the @
notation?

Thanks for the reply
bill

"Alan Silver" <al*********@nospam.thanx> wrote in message
news:uK**************@nospamthankyou.spam...
>The @ can shorten typing, as it states "This string is a literal".

Example of
>two equivalent strings:
>
>string URL = @"http://msnd.microsoft.com/newsgroups";
>string URL = "http:////msdn.microsoft.com//newsgroups";
>
>In the second string, every whack has to be escaped.

Ooh, ain't that clever!! I'm not sure why you need to double the / in
the second example though, is it used for something special? I thought
the backslash was, say for embedding a newline character.

How about embedding quotes, would this help?

Thanks for the reply.

>***************************
>Think Outside the Box!

When I grow big enough to see over the top, I'll try thinking!!

>***************************
>
>"Alan Silver" wrote:
>
>> Hello,
>>
>> I have noticed in a few bits of code that people sometimes do things
>> like...
>>
>> SomeFunction(@"a text string");
>>
>> What is the purpose of the @ sign? I have seen it most when passing
>> connection strings (admittedly in example code, as connection strings >> would be better stored elsewhere in a real app), but I don't think it's >> related to that.
>>
>> Anyone care to enlighten me? TIA
>>
>> --
>> Alan Silver
>> (anything added below this line is nothing to do with me)
>>

--
Alan Silver
(anything added below this line is nothing to do with me)



--
Alan Silver
(anything added below this line is nothing to do with me)

Nov 19 '05 #10
>Oh, you can also do this.

Now that's *really* clever!! Thanks for pointing it out.
string script = @"
<script language=""javascript"">
function myFunction()
{
alert( 'hello world' );
}
";

or
string script = String.Format( @"
<script language=""javascript"">
function myFunction()
{
alert( document.all[""{0}""].value );
}
", myControl.ID );

It makes it more readable, it is purely a personal preference, so if you
don't want to use it, then don't. I use both with a '@' and without
depending on my usage and what I am going for.

string uncPath = "\\\\server1\\share\directory\\file.txt"
string uncPath = @\\server1\share\directory\file.txt

bill

"Alan Silver" <al*********@nospam.thanx> wrote in message
news:Xa**************@nospamthankyou.spam...
>Yes, you are correct. I am sure Gregory meant that. Those should havebeen >backspaces such as a unc path.
>
>You were asking about escaping string.
>
>string s = "He said, \"No!\"";
>string s = @"He said, ""No!""";
>
>Notice the double double quotes.


But what do you gain in this case? You have substituted one escape
character for another. My first impression was that you could type a
string without escape characters at all. Your example doesn't give any
benefit for having the @.

Apart from string containing backslashes, is there any benefit of the @
notation?

Thanks for the reply
>bill
>
>"Alan Silver" <al*********@nospam.thanx> wrote in message
>news:uK**************@nospamthankyou.spam...
>> >The @ can shorten typing, as it states "This string is a literal".
>Example of
>> >two equivalent strings:
>> >
>> >string URL = @"http://msnd.microsoft.com/newsgroups";
>> >string URL = "http:////msdn.microsoft.com//newsgroups";
>> >
>> >In the second string, every whack has to be escaped.
>>
>> Ooh, ain't that clever!! I'm not sure why you need to double the / in
>> the second example though, is it used for something special? I thought
>> the backslash was, say for embedding a newline character.
>>
>> How about embedding quotes, would this help?
>>
>> Thanks for the reply.
>>
>> >***************************
>> >Think Outside the Box!
>>
>> When I grow big enough to see over the top, I'll try thinking!!
>>
>> >***************************
>> >
>> >"Alan Silver" wrote:
>> >
>> >> Hello,
>> >>
>> >> I have noticed in a few bits of code that people sometimes do things
>> >> like...
>> >>
>> >> SomeFunction(@"a text string");
>> >>
>> >> What is the purpose of the @ sign? I have seen it most when passing
>> >> connection strings (admittedly in example code, as connectionstrings >> >> would be better stored elsewhere in a real app), but I don't thinkit's >> >> related to that.
>> >>
>> >> Anyone care to enlighten me? TIA
>> >>
>> >> --
>> >> Alan Silver
>> >> (anything added below this line is nothing to do with me)
>> >>
>>
>> --
>> Alan Silver
>> (anything added below this line is nothing to do with me)
>
>


--
Alan Silver
(anything added below this line is nothing to do with me)



--
Alan Silver
(anything added below this line is nothing to do with me)
Nov 19 '05 #11

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