String.Concat vs String.Format

[ramadu]

I know its a sin to use strings, lets skip that part...

Which of these is faster and uses less memory?

String.Format(" SomeValue='{0}' ", m_Value);

or

String.Concat(" SomeValue='", m_Value, "'");

- ramadu

[cody]

Re: String.Concat vs String.Format

If you think a bit about it you 'll get the answer.

String.Concat is made to do exactly this where it get the name from, whereas
String.Format can do lots of stuff and has to scan the string for format
specifiers first.


"ramadu" <tnr@newsgroups .nospam> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:%23RO%23dL AjGHA.1324@TK2M SFTNGP04.phx.gb l...[color=blue]
>I know its a sin to use strings, lets skip that part...
>
> Which of these is faster and uses less memory?
>
> String.Format(" SomeValue='{0}' ", m_Value);
>
> or
>
> String.Concat(" SomeValue='", m_Value, "'");
>
> - ramadu[/color]

[ramadu]

Re: String.Concat vs String.Format

I realize that but does .net do any compiler optimizations if
string.Format is used?

- ramadu

:[color=blue]
> If you think a bit about it you 'll get the answer.
>
> String.Concat is made to do exactly this where it get the name from, whereas
> String.Format can do lots of stuff and has to scan the string for format
> specifiers first.
>
>
> "ramadu" <tnr@newsgroups .nospam> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
> news:%23RO%23dL AjGHA.1324@TK2M SFTNGP04.phx.gb l...[color=green]
>> I know its a sin to use strings, lets skip that part...
>>
>> Which of these is faster and uses less memory?
>>
>> String.Format(" SomeValue='{0}' ", m_Value);
>>
>> or
>>
>> String.Concat(" SomeValue='", m_Value, "'");
>>
>> - ramadu[/color]
>
>[/color]

[Michael Nemtsev]

Re: String.Concat vs String.Format

Hello ramadu,

If u use reflector you can see that String.Format use StringBuilder class
and calls its AppendFormat method that is pretty rich.
String,Contat uses string.FastAllo cateString and FillStringCheck ed methods

I'd assume that String.Concat is more fastest case

r> I know its a sin to use strings, lets skip that part...
r>
r> Which of these is faster and uses less memory?
r>
r> String.Format(" SomeValue='{0}' ", m_Value);
r>
r> or
r>
r> String.Concat(" SomeValue='", m_Value, "'");
r>
r> - ramadu
r>
---
WBR,
Michael Nemtsev :: blog: http://spaces.msn.com/laflour

"At times one remains faithful to a cause only because its opponents do not
cease to be insipid." (c) Friedrich Nietzsche

[ramadu]

Re: String.Concat vs String.Format

But in that case String.Concat will be costly in terms of memory as it
will create multiple immutable strings...

- ramadu

:[color=blue]
> Hello ramadu,
>
> If u use reflector you can see that String.Format use StringBuilder
> class and calls its AppendFormat method that is pretty rich.
> String,Contat uses string.FastAllo cateString and FillStringCheck ed methods
>
> I'd assume that String.Concat is more fastest case
>
> r> I know its a sin to use strings, lets skip that part...
> r> r> Which of these is faster and uses less memory?
> r> r> String.Format(" SomeValue='{0}' ", m_Value);
> r> r> or
> r> r> String.Concat(" SomeValue='", m_Value, "'");
> r> r> - ramadu
> r> ---
> WBR,
> Michael Nemtsev :: blog: http://spaces.msn.com/laflour
>
> "At times one remains faithful to a cause only because its opponents do
> not cease to be insipid." (c) Friedrich Nietzsche
>
>[/color]

[chanmm]

Re: String.Concat vs String.Format

Just for the sake of discussion. All your variables has a scope. How many
variable can you accumulate till you quit the program? So, to me I would say
I use whichever way I feel is comfortable to me.

chanmm

"ramadu" <tnr@newsgroups .nospam> wrote in message
news:%23RO%23dL AjGHA.1324@TK2M SFTNGP04.phx.gb l...[color=blue]
>I know its a sin to use strings, lets skip that part...
>
> Which of these is faster and uses less memory?
>
> String.Format(" SomeValue='{0}' ", m_Value);
>
> or
>
> String.Concat(" SomeValue='", m_Value, "'");
>
> - ramadu[/color]

[Jon Skeet [C# MVP]]

Re: String.Concat vs String.Format

ramadu <tnr@newsgroups .nospam> wrote:[color=blue]
> I know its a sin to use strings, lets skip that part...[/color]

In what way? Using strings is part of every day life. Is there some
particular use you're thinking of which isn't a good idea, like using
values directly in SQL statements?
[color=blue]
> Which of these is faster and uses less memory?
>
> String.Format(" SomeValue='{0}' ", m_Value);
>
> or
>
> String.Concat(" SomeValue='", m_Value, "'");[/color]

Well, the Concat call is faster, *but* it's unlikely to ever be
significant. The more important question is "Which of these is clearer,
and more readable?" There, the answer is String.Format IMO. On the
other hand, your Concat call could be made easier to read too:

string x = "SomeValue= '" + m_Value + "'";

That will compile to the same code, and is fairly readable. I'd still
use String.Format though, I think.

--
Jon Skeet - <skeet@pobox.co m>
http://www.pobox.com/~skeet Blog: http://www.msmvps.com/jon.skeet
If replying to the group, please do not mail me too

[Mark Wilden]

Re: String.Concat vs String.Format

"Jon Skeet [C# MVP]" <skeet@pobox.co m> wrote in message
news:MPG.1ef473 1d33dbc43798d22 d@msnews.micros oft.com...
[color=blue][color=green]
>> Which of these is faster and uses less memory?
>>
>> String.Format(" SomeValue='{0}' ", m_Value);
>>
>> or
>>
>> String.Concat(" SomeValue='", m_Value, "'");[/color]
>
> Well, the Concat call is faster, *but* it's unlikely to ever be
> significant. The more important question is "Which of these is clearer,
> and more readable?" There, the answer is String.Format IMO.[/color]

I don't know -- when you're just concatenating strings, + (or Concat) is
more readable, IMO.

///ark

[cody]

Re: String.Concat vs String.Format

what do you mean with "compiler optimizations"?

"ramadu" <tnr@newsgroups .nospam> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:4489DF26.3 040400@newsgrou ps.nospam...[color=blue]
>I realize that but does .net do any compiler optimizations if string.Format
>is used?
>
> - ramadu
>
> :[color=green]
>> If you think a bit about it you 'll get the answer.
>>
>> String.Concat is made to do exactly this where it get the name from,
>> whereas String.Format can do lots of stuff and has to scan the string for
>> format specifiers first.
>>
>>
>> "ramadu" <tnr@newsgroups .nospam> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
>> news:%23RO%23dL AjGHA.1324@TK2M SFTNGP04.phx.gb l...[color=darkred]
>>> I know its a sin to use strings, lets skip that part...
>>>
>>> Which of these is faster and uses less memory?
>>>
>>> String.Format(" SomeValue='{0}' ", m_Value);
>>>
>>> or
>>>
>>> String.Concat(" SomeValue='", m_Value, "'");
>>>
>>> - ramadu[/color]
>>[/color][/color]

[Göran Andersson]

Re: String.Concat vs String.Format

The Concat would be slightly faster and memory efficient, but if you are
trying to optimize your code you are probably looking in the wrong place.

What are you going to use the string for?

ramadu wrote:[color=blue]
> I know its a sin to use strings, lets skip that part...
>
> Which of these is faster and uses less memory?
>
> String.Format(" SomeValue='{0}' ", m_Value);
>
> or
>
> String.Concat(" SomeValue='", m_Value, "'");
>
> - ramadu[/color]

[JimD]

Re: String.Concat vs String.Format

Mark Wilden wrote:[color=blue]
> "Jon Skeet [C# MVP]" <skeet@pobox.co m> wrote in message
> news:MPG.1ef473 1d33dbc43798d22 d@msnews.micros oft.com...
>[color=green][color=darkred]
>>> Which of these is faster and uses less memory?
>>>
>>> String.Format(" SomeValue='{0}' ", m_Value);
>>>
>>> or
>>>
>>> String.Concat(" SomeValue='", m_Value, "'");[/color]
>> Well, the Concat call is faster, *but* it's unlikely to ever be
>> significant. The more important question is "Which of these is clearer,
>> and more readable?" There, the answer is String.Format IMO.[/color]
>
> I don't know -- when you're just concatenating strings, + (or Concat) is
> more readable, IMO.
>
> ///ark[/color]

I think it depends on what you are doing:

version #1:

string sql = "";
sql = "Insert Into Foo (custid, salary, bar, snoopy, bugs)"
+ " values (" + m_custid + ", " + m_sal + ", '" + m_bar + "', '"
+ m_snoopy + "', '" + m_bugs + "')";



version #2

// this string would probably be defined somewhere else
string sqlIns = Insert Into Foo (custid, salary, bar, snoopy, bugs)"
+ " values ({0}, {1}, '{2}', '{3}', '{4}')";

string sql = String.Format(s qlIns, m_custid, m_sal,
m_bar, m_snoopy, m_bugs);

I think version #2 is the cleanest.

Jim
--
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
You roll an 18 in Dex and see if you
don't end up with a girlfriend
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
JimD
Central FL, USA, Earth, Sol

[Mark Wilden]

Re: String.Concat vs String.Format

"JimD" <Jim@keeliegirl .dyndns.org> wrote in message
news:JiMig.1022 7$Ui7.9606@torn ado.tampabay.rr .com...
[color=blue]
> // this string would probably be defined somewhere else
> string sqlIns = Insert Into Foo (custid, salary, bar, snoopy, bugs)"
> + " values ({0}, {1}, '{2}', '{3}', '{4}')";
>
> string sql = String.Format(s qlIns, m_custid, m_sal,
> m_bar, m_snoopy, m_bugs);
>
> I think version #2 is the cleanest.[/color]

I agree, but that isn't concatenation.

///ark

[Jon Skeet [C# MVP]]

Re: String.Concat vs String.Format

Mark Wilden <MarkWilden@new sgroups.nospam> wrote:[color=blue]
> "JimD" <Jim@keeliegirl .dyndns.org> wrote in message
> news:JiMig.1022 7$Ui7.9606@torn ado.tampabay.rr .com...
>[color=green]
> > // this string would probably be defined somewhere else
> > string sqlIns = Insert Into Foo (custid, salary, bar, snoopy, bugs)"
> > + " values ({0}, {1}, '{2}', '{3}', '{4}')";
> >
> > string sql = String.Format(s qlIns, m_custid, m_sal,
> > m_bar, m_snoopy, m_bugs);
> >
> > I think version #2 is the cleanest.[/color]
>
> I agree, but that isn't concatenation.[/color]

Version 1 was though. You said:

"I don't know -- when you're just concatenating strings, + (or Concat)
is more readable, IMO."

Tha alternative to the Format call above was:

string sql = "";
sql = "Insert Into Foo (custid, salary, bar, snoopy, bugs)"
+ " values (" + m_custid + ", " + m_sal + ", '" + m_bar + "', '"
+ m_snoopy + "', '" + m_bugs + "')";

That's just concatenating strings, which would suggest that you'd
prefer that to the Format version.

--
Jon Skeet - <skeet@pobox.co m>
http://www.pobox.com/~skeet Blog: http://www.msmvps.com/jon.skeet
If replying to the group, please do not mail me too

[Mark Wilden]

Re: String.Concat vs String.Format

"Jon Skeet [C# MVP]" <skeet@pobox.co m> wrote in message
news:MPG.1ef5bc 5a1578ed5698d23 3@msnews.micros oft.com...
[color=blue]
> string sql = "";
> sql = "Insert Into Foo (custid, salary, bar, snoopy, bugs)"
> + " values (" + m_custid + ", " + m_sal + ", '" + m_bar + "', '"
> + m_snoopy + "', '" + m_bugs + "')";
>
> That's just concatenating strings[/color]

Yes, you're right.

When pasting two strings together, I think + is simplest and clearest. When
formatting a long mixture of string constants and string variables, I think
Format is simpler. People talk about the former as concatenation and the
latter as formatting.

However, it's just my personal preference; I don't think it makes too much
difference either way. I certainly wouldn't worry about Format taking a
couple more ticks to execute.

(BTW, as long as we're on the subject, your StringBuilder page has let me
astound and amaze more than one of my colleagues who shun + like vampires.)

[ramadu]

Re: String.Concat vs String.Format

Its mostly for select statements in a DataTable.

- Sri

:[color=blue]
> The Concat would be slightly faster and memory efficient, but if you are
> trying to optimize your code you are probably looking in the wrong place.
>
> What are you going to use the string for?
>
> ramadu wrote:[color=green]
>> I know its a sin to use strings, lets skip that part...
>>
>> Which of these is faster and uses less memory?
>>
>> String.Format(" SomeValue='{0}' ", m_Value);
>>
>> or
>>
>> String.Concat(" SomeValue='", m_Value, "'");
>>
>> - ramadu[/color][/color]