string
This library provides generic functions for string manipulation, such as finding and extracting substrings, and pattern matching. When indexing a string in Lua, the first character is at position 1 (not at 0, as in C). Indices are allowed to be negative and are interpreted as indexing backwards, from the end of the string. Thus, the last character is at position -1, and so on.
👐Open Source
This library implementation is Open Sourced on GitHub!
🧑💻API Source
This page is auto-generated! The Functions, Properties and Events described here are defined in our GitHub's API Repository! Feel free to commit suggestions and changes to the source .json API files!
tip
You can use this library statically as string.method(my_str, ...) or directly as my_str:method(...)!
🎒 Examples
(string.StartsWith) Checks if string starts with text
local str = "awesome text!"
local starts = str:StartsWith("awesome")
-- Outputs "true"
(string.EndsWith) Checks if string ends with text
local str = "awesome text!"
local ends = str:EndsWith("text!")
-- Outputs "true"
(string.Trim) Removes extra spaces
local str = " Hello world! "
local new_str = str:Trim()
-- Outputs "Hello world!"
(string.FormatArgs) Replaces {1} and {2} with corresponding texts
local str = "Hello {2} I'm {1}"
local new_str = str:FormatArgs("a noob", "world!")
-- Outputs "Hello world! I'm a noob"
(string.ToTable) Convert string to table of characters
local str = "hello"
local tbl = str:ToTable()
-- Outputs "{'h', 'e', 'l', 'l', 'o'}"
🦠 Functions
| Returns | Name | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
| boolean | StartsWith | Test whether this string starts with given string | |
| boolean | EndsWith | Test whether this string ends with given string | |
| string | Trim | Returns a new string with removed whitespace characters from the front and end of this string | |
| string | FormatArgs | A better string.Format, replace {num} by the corresponding vararg in a string | |
| varargs of integer | byte | Returns the internal numeric codes of the characters s[start_pos], s[start_pos + 1], ..., s[end_pos] | |
| string | char | Receives zero or more integers. Returns a string with length equal to the number of arguments, in which each character has the internal numeric code equal to its corresponding argument | |
| number, number, string | find | Looks for the first match of pattern in the string. | |
| string | rep | Returns a string that is the concatenation of n copies of the string s separated by the string sep. | |
| string | lower | Returns a copy of this string with all uppercase letters changed to lowercase. | |
| string | upper | Returns a copy of this string with all lowercase letters changed to uppercase. | |
| string | dump | Returns a string containing a binary representation (a *binary chunk*) of the given function. | |
| number | match | Looks for the first match of pattern in the string. | |
| string | reverse | Returns a string that is the string s reversed. | |
| string | sub | Returns the substring of the string that starts at i and continues until j. | |
| function | gmatch | Returns an iterator function that, each time it is called, returns the next captures from pattern over the string s. | |
| number | len | Returns its length. | |
| string, number | gsub | Returns a copy of s in which all (or the first n, if given) occurrences of the pattern have been replaced by a replacement string specified by repl. | |
| string | format | Returns a formatted version of its variable number of arguments following the description given in its first argument. | |
| table of string | ToTable | Split string into table of single characters |

StartsWith
Test whether this string starts with given string
local ret = my_string:StartsWith(other_string)
Parameters
| Type | Parameter | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| string | other_string | Required parameter | The given string |
Returns
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| boolean | No description provided |
string.StartsWith Examples
Checks if string starts with text
local str = "awesome text!"
local starts = str:StartsWith("awesome")
-- Outputs "true"

EndsWith
Test whether this string ends with given string
local ret = my_string:EndsWith(other_string)
Parameters
| Type | Parameter | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| string | other_string | Required parameter | The given string |
Returns
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| boolean | No description provided |
string.EndsWith Examples
Checks if string ends with text
local str = "awesome text!"
local ends = str:EndsWith("text!")
-- Outputs "true"

Trim
Returns a new string with removed whitespace characters from the front and end of this string
local ret = my_string:Trim()
Returns
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| string | No description provided |
string.Trim Examples
Removes extra spaces
local str = " Hello world! "
local new_str = str:Trim()
-- Outputs "Hello world!"

FormatArgs
A better string.Format, replace {num} by the corresponding vararg in a stringlocal ret = my_string:FormatArgs(args...)
Returns
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| string | No description provided |
string.FormatArgs Examples
Replaces {1} and {2} with corresponding texts
local str = "Hello {2} I'm {1}"
local new_str = str:FormatArgs("a noob", "world!")
-- Outputs "Hello world! I'm a noob"

byte
Returns the internal numeric codes of the characters s[start_pos], s[start_pos + 1], ..., s[end_pos]local ret_01, ret_02, ... = my_string:byte(start_pos?, end_pos?)
Parameters
| Type | Parameter | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| integer | start_pos? | 1 | The first character of the string to get the byte of |
| integer | end_pos? | start_pos | The last character of the string to get the byte of |

char
Receives zero or more integers. Returns a string with length equal to the number of arguments, in which each character has the internal numeric code equal to its corresponding argument
local ret = my_string:char(values...)
Parameters
| Type | Parameter | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| varargs of integer | values... | Required parameter | No description provided |
Returns
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| string | the string |

find
Looks for the first match of pattern in the string.local ret_1, ret_2, ret_3 = my_string:find(haystack, needle, startPos, noPatterns)
Parameters
| Type | Parameter | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| string | haystack | Required parameter | The string to search in. |
| string | needle | Required parameter | The string to find, can contain patterns if enabled. |
| number | startPos | Required parameter | The position to start the search from, can be negative start position will be relative to the end position. |
| boolean | noPatterns | Required parameter | Disable patterns. |
Returns
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| number | No description provided |
| number | No description provided |
| string | No description provided |

rep
Returns a string that is the concatenation ofncopies of the stringsseparated by the stringsep.
local ret = my_string:rep(str, repetitions, separator)
Parameters
| Type | Parameter | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| string | str | Required parameter | The string to convert. |
| number | repetitions | Required parameter | Timer to repeat, this values gets rounded internally. |
| string | separator | Required parameter | String that will separate the repeated piece. Notice that it doesn't add this string to the start or the end of the result, only between the repeated parts. |
Returns
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| string | No description provided |

lower
Returns a copy of this string with all uppercase letters changed to lowercase.
local ret = my_string:lower(str)
Parameters
| Type | Parameter | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| string | str | Required parameter | The string to convert. |
Returns
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| string | No description provided |

upper
Returns a copy of this string with all lowercase letters changed to uppercase.
local ret = my_string:upper(str)
Parameters
| Type | Parameter | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| string | str | Required parameter | The string to convert. |
Returns
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| string | No description provided |

dump
Returns a string containing a binary representation (a *binary chunk*) of the given function.
local ret = my_string:dump(func, stripDebugInfo)
Parameters
| Type | Parameter | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| function | func | Required parameter | The function to get the bytecode of |
| boolean | stripDebugInfo | Required parameter | True to strip the debug data, false to keep it |
Returns
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| string | No description provided |

match
Looks for the first match of pattern in the string.local ret = my_string:match(string, pattern, startPosition)
Parameters
| Type | Parameter | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| string | string | Required parameter | String which should be searched in for matches. |
| string | pattern | Required parameter | The pattern that defines what should be matched. |
| number | startPosition | Required parameter | The start index to start the matching from, can be negative to start the match from a position relative to the end. |
Returns
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| number | No description provided |

reverse
Returns a string that is the string s reversed.local ret = my_string:reverse(str)
Parameters
| Type | Parameter | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| string | str | Required parameter | The string to be reversed. |
Returns
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| string | No description provided |

sub
Returns the substring of the string that starts atiand continues untilj.
local ret = my_string:sub(string, StartPos, EndPos)
Parameters
| Type | Parameter | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| string | string | Required parameter | The string you'll take a sub-string out of. |
| number | StartPos | Required parameter | The position of the first character that will be included in the sub-string. |
| number | EndPos | Required parameter | The position of the last character to be included in the sub-string. It can be negative to count from the end. |
Returns
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| string | No description provided |

gmatch
Returns an iterator function that, each time it is called, returns the next captures from pattern over the string s. local ret = my_string:gmatch(data, pattern)
Parameters
| Type | Parameter | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| string | data | Required parameter | The string to search in |
| string | pattern | Required parameter | The pattern to search for |
Returns
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| function | No description provided |

len
Returns its length.
local ret = my_string:len(str)
Parameters
| Type | Parameter | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| string | str | Required parameter | The string to find the length of. |
Returns
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| number | No description provided |

gsub
Returns a copy of s in which all (or the firstn, if given) occurrences of thepatternhave been replaced by a replacement string specified byrepl.
local ret_1, ret_2 = my_string:gsub(string, pattern, replacement, maxReplaces)
Parameters
| Type | Parameter | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| string | string | Required parameter | String which should be modified. |
| string | pattern | Required parameter | The pattern that defines what should be matched and eventually be replaced. |
| string | replacement | Required parameter | In case of a string the matched sequence will be replaced with it. In case of a table, the matched sequence will be used as key and the table will tested for the key, if a value exists it will be used as replacement. In case of a function all matches will be passed as parameters to the function, the return value(s) of the function will then be used as replacement. |
| number | maxReplaces | Required parameter | Maximum number of replacements to be made. |

format
Returns a formatted version of its variable number of arguments following the description given in its first argument.
local ret = my_string:format(format, formatParameters)
Parameters
| Type | Parameter | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| string | format | Required parameter | The string to be formatted |
| number | formatParameters | Required parameter | Values to be formatted into the string. |
Returns
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| string | No description provided |
ToTable
Converts this string into a table where each element is a single-character substring of the original string.
local ret = my_string:ToTable(str)
Parameters
| Type | Parameter | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| string | str | Required parameter | The string to convert into a table |
string.ToTable Examples
Convert string to table of characters
local str = "hello"
local tbl = str:ToTable()
-- Outputs "{'h', 'e', 'l', 'l', 'o'}"