Hi, i am learning from a book, and in one section it says:

"I include the file string, part of the standard library, so i can use a string object to access a string through a variable"

I have not idea what that means

what does it do by including the string header file?

Can anyone explain in simpler terms please.

I think it's saying that you should use the library string..

#include <string>

it lets you get access to strings and manipulate it..

thanks for the reply, can you give me an example of when you would put the file string to use?

what is a string object, and how are they used?

Ah, the std::string class!

hmm so,

by including the string file am i basicaly including another type of variable... which is a type which holds sentances and words???

would be right in thinking its a type of variable because my book doesnt call it a variable, it calls it an object from what i get from it?

That's right. It's a type.

-Albatross

Ok, thanks for clearing that up, one last thing, why does my book call it an object instead of a variable type?

ahh it dont matter, i understand :)

Actually, one last thing.

If i have to include a file to use the string variable, why dont i have to include files for other variables such as int and char?

Those types are built into C++. std::string, however, is not built in. It was added on in a separate library after C++ was created (AFAIK).

-Albatross

Much appreciated

// I know you may already understand it, but I'd like to try an answer ^.^

// Including <string> let's you use std::string insertNameHerein the same way you need to include <iostream> in order to use std::cout and std::cin!

//By the way, the terminology for everything really confuses me as well.

Thanks :),

But the only difference is that by including the iostream file you include cout and cin which are input and output objects, and whereas by including the string file you are including a variable type.

Right???

// *cry* I have no idea!...Must... have... MOAR... knowledge...

// Thank you actually, if you're right, I didn't know they were different in that way(whatever way "that" way is lol). Wait...I think I get what you're saying, since they're both used differently. So an object is something that....uh.. [insert easy description here]... okay well after "cout" you use the "<<".. thing... but for a string you say "string" before you(declare?define?other?) invent a name for...it?.. Uh.... how do I learn these things? ^.^

// Okay so wait, cout and cin are objects? So if string is a "variable type" does that mean if I said, say: std::string aStringyName std is, something, :: is the scope resolution..operator? Anyway so "string" is a variable type, and the name you give it would be called a variable? Or, a variable name? It's these kinds of things I wish books would focus a bit more on teaching, what things are called X.x

// Er... basically what I'm trying to say is "If what you say is true, thank you, for you have taught me more about the terminology." lol

Hahaa :D

I think im right!

Can anyone confirm this for us?

The IOstream library also defines its own types (fstream, sstream, ostream, istream) and the string library also defines it's own functions (getline()), and then some, but that's just FYI.

I'm not the strongest regarding terminology, however I have been programming in C++ for a few years and maybe this can help you:

● An object can be an instance of a class.
● A class is a type of type, if you will. An std::string is a class. If you have something in C++ that can do something along the lines of something.something_else..., it's safe to assume the left-hand side is a class (or a struct, but in C++ the two are pretty much the same).
● The term variable is usually reserved for instances of simpler types than classes (int, char, float).
● Well... okay. Technically std::string is a typedef of a class template using a char, but you won't worry about that later. ;)

Do these help you understand a bit? You might want to check the tutorial on this site to help you out (http://cplusplus.com/doc/tutorial/).

-Albatross

I started to read abit of that and i got abit more confused so im not going to read it lol
But thats, i do appreciate it.

can you just say whether me and Nohbdy are right in what we think

:D

So, if i include the string file, and i type "string leader"

Am i making a variable called leader in which it can holder multiple letters?

Assuming I understood you, you seem to be more or less right. std::cin std::and cout are objects, while std::string is a type.

If you include the string file, and you're either using namespace std; or using std::string;, then when you type string leader; you are creating an object whose purpose is to hold... a string of characters, hence the name, hehe. There's an upper limit to how many it can hold, but it's pretty high.

The std::string class also has several functions within it to replace the functions in the cstring library, one of my favorite being find().


See the reference I gave you earlier for more details.

Happy coding! :)

-Albatross

ok

when you say "you are creating an object whose purpose is to hold"

is the word object the technical word to use, is it not called a variable of the string type?