C# Verbatim String Literal - @
In C#, a verbatim string is created using a special symbol @. The symbol(@) is known as a verbatim identifier. If a string contains @ as a prefix followed by double quotes, then compiler identifies that string as a verbatim string and compile that string.
The main advantage of @ symbol is to tell the string constructor to ignore escape characters and line breaks.
Syntax:
string str = @" string content ";Key Features of Verbatim String
- No Escape Sequences: It does not support backslashes(\).
- Useful for file paths:
- Readable multi-line strings: Allows for strings to span multi lines.
Example:
using System;
public class Geeks
{
static public void Main ()
{
// using for file path
string str = @"C:\Users";
Console.WriteLine("File Path: " + str);
// using double quotes
string str2 = @"Hello ""Geeks"" ";
Console.WriteLine("Using Double Quotes: " + str2);
// using multi line
string str3 = @"
This is
multi line
String";
Console.WriteLine("Multi Line: "+str3);
}
}
Output
File Path: C:\Users
Using Double Quotes: Hello "Geeks"
Multi Line:
This is
multi line
String
Types of Verbatim String Literal
There is mainly three uses of @ symbol which is as follows:
- Verbatim String Identifier
- Verbatim String Literal
1. Verbatim String Identifier
This symbol allows using a keyword as an identifier. The @ symbol prefixes the keyword, so the compiler takes keyword as an identifier without any error as shown in the below example:
Example:
// C# program to illustrate
// the use of @ by using keyword
// as an identifier
using System;
public class GFG
{
// Main method
static public void Main()
{
// Creating and initializing the array
// here 'for' keyword is used as
// an identifier by using @ symbol
string[] @for = {"C#", "PHP", "Java", "Python"};
// as and for keywords is
// as an identifier
// using @ symbol
foreach (string @as in @for) {
Console.WriteLine("Element of Array: {0}", @as);
}
}
}
Output
Element of Array: C# Element of Array: PHP Element of Array: Java Element of Array: Python
2. Verbatim String Literal
For printing the escape sequences in string literals and also using the line breaks etc. in a string literal without any escape sequence.
If one will put the escape sequence like "\\" (for backslash), "\u" (Unicode escape sequence), "\x" (hexadecimal escape sequence) etc. in a string literal without using @ symbol then these sequences will be interpreted by compiler automatically. But "" (double quotes) are not interpreted literally. Its like a string interpolation.
Example:
// Using Verbatim String Literal
using System;
public class Geeks
{
static public void Main ()
{
// Verbatim String Literal
string str = @"This is \n a verbatim string";
Console.WriteLine(str);
}
}
Output
This is \n a verbatim string
Use Cases with Example
Let's see different cases with and without @ symbol.
Case 1:
// taking a string literal and
// try to print double quotes
string str1 = """";
// printing output
// this will give compile
// time error as Unexpected
// symbol `'
Console.WriteLine(str1);
In the above program, the double quotes inside double quotes as a string literal are interpreted as a single quotation mark.
Case 2:
// taking a string literal prefixes
// with @ and try to print double quotes
string str1 = @"""";
// printing output
// this will output as "
Console.WriteLine(str1);
In the above program, the output is double quote(") not ""
Case 3:
// taking a string in which we are storing
// some location of file but \Testing will
// interpreted as escape sequence \T
// similarly \N
string str1 = "\\C:\Testing\New\Target";
// printing str1
// this will give compile time error as
// Unrecognized escape sequence `\T'
// Unrecognized escape sequence `\N'
// Unrecognized escape sequence `\T'
Console.WriteLine(str1);
Case 4:
// taking a string and prefix literal with @ symbol.
// Storing some location of file
string str1 = @"\\C:\Testing\New\Target";
// printing str1 will give output as
// \\C:\Testing\New\Target
Console.WriteLine(str1);
Program:
// C# program to illustrate
// the use of @ in terms of
// escape sequences and new
// line and tab
using System;
public class GFG {
// Main method
static public void Main()
{
// If you use the below commented
// the part then this will give
// Unrecognized escape sequence error
// string S1 = "\\welcome \to GeeksforGeeks \ portal \";
// Console.WriteLine("String 1 is :{0}", S1);
// By using @ in the given string
// it runs smoothly because
// @ symbol tells the compiler to
// ignore all escape sequences
string S2 = @"\\welcome \to GeeksforGeeks \ portal \";
Console.WriteLine("String 2 is: {0}", S2);
// printing new line character in string literal
// but it will make the string to break
// into a new line, see output
string S3 = "This is \n C# non verbatim string";
Console.WriteLine("String 3 is :{0}", S3);
// By using @ symbol /n does not processed
string S4 = @"This is \n C# verbatim string";
Console.WriteLine("String 4 is :{0}", S4);
// printing a string literal contains
// tabs and new line without using
// any escape sequence
Console.WriteLine(@"Without Tab Sequence and New Line Character
C C++ Java Python");
}
}
Output
String 2 is: \\welcome \to GeeksforGeeks \ portal \
String 3 is :This is
C# non verbatim string
String 4 is :This is \n C# verbatim string
Without Tab Sequence and New Line Character
C C++ Java Python
