Tutorials

C# String CopyTo() Method

Posted in C# Tutorial

Updated on Jan 11, 2024

By Mari Selvan

👁️ 113 - Views

⏳ 4 mins

💬 1 Comment

Photo Credit to CodeToFun

🙋 Introduction

In C# programming, the System.String class provides various methods for string manipulation.

The CopyTo() method is one such method that allows you to copy the characters of the string to a character array.

In this tutorial, we'll explore the usage and functionality of the CopyTo() method in C#.

💡 Syntax

The syntax for the CopyTo() method is as follows:

Syntax

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public void CopyTo(int sourceIndex, char[] destination, int destinationIndex, int count);

sourceIndex: The starting index of the string from which to begin copying characters.
destination: The character array to which characters are copied.
destinationIndex: The starting index in the destination array where copying begins.
count: The number of characters to copy.

📄 Example

Let's dive into an example to illustrate how the CopyTo() method works.

Program.cs

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using System;

class Program {
  static void Main() {
    string sampleString = "C# is powerful!";

    // Create a character array with enough space
    char[] charArray = new char[sampleString.Length];

    // Copy characters from the string to the array
    sampleString.CopyTo(0, charArray, 0, sampleString.Length);

    // Output the copied characters
    Console.WriteLine("Copied Characters:");
    Console.WriteLine(charArray);
  }
}

💻 Testing the Program

Output

Copied Characters:
C# is powerful!

🧠 How the Program Works

In this example, the CopyTo() method is used to copy all characters from the string "C# is powerful!" to a character array, and the result is then printed.

↩️ Return Value

The CopyTo() method does not return a value (void).

📚 Common Use Cases

The CopyTo() method is useful when you need to manipulate or process the characters of a string individually. Copying characters to an array allows for more flexible handling, such as modification or analysis of specific characters.

📝 Notes

The method throws ArgumentNullException if the destination array is null.
It throws ArgumentOutOfRangeException if any of the indices or the count is outside the valid range.

🎢 Optimization

The CopyTo() method is optimized for efficient character copying. Ensure that the destination array has sufficient space for the specified number of characters to avoid exceptions.

🎉 Conclusion

The CopyTo() method in C# is a valuable tool for copying characters from a string to a character array. It provides flexibility in handling individual characters and is particularly useful when more advanced string manipulations are required.

Feel free to experiment with different source indices, destination arrays, and counts to explore the behavior of the CopyTo() method in various scenarios. Happy coding!