StringSubstring

String substring Function

The String function substring() is closely related to charAt(), startsWith() and endsWith(). It allows you to look for an instance of a particular substring within a given String.

Hardware Required

Arduino or Genuino Board

Circuit

There is no circuit for this example, though your board must be connected to your computer via USB and the serial monitor window of the Arduino Software (IDE) should be open.

image developed using Fritzing. For more circuit examples, see the Fritzing project page

Code

substring() with only one parameter looks for a given substring from the position given to the end of the string. It expects that the substring extends all the way to the end of the String. For example:

  String stringOne = "Content-Type: text/html";

  // substring(index) looks for the substring from the index position to the end:
  if (stringOne.substring(19) == "html") {
   }

is true, while

  String stringOne = "Content-Type: text/html";

  // substring(index) looks for the substring from the index position to the end:
  if (stringOne.substring(19) == "htm") {
   }

is not true, because there's an l after the htm in the String.

substring() with two parameters looks for a given substring from the first parameter to the second. For example:

  String stringOne = "Content-Type: text/html";

  // you can also look for a substring in the middle of a string:
  if (stringOne.substring(14,18) == "text") {

  }

This looks for the word text from positions 14 through 18 of the String.

Caution: make sure your index values are within the String's length or you'll get unpredictable results. This kind of error can be particularly hard to find with the second instance of substring() if the starting position is less than the String's length, but the ending position isn't.

/*
String substring()

Examples of how to use substring in a String

created 27 Jul 2010,
modified 2 Apr 2012
by Zach Eveland

This example code is in the public domain.

http://www.arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/StringSubstring
*/

void setup() {
// Open serial communications and wait for port to open:
Serial.begin(9600);
while (!Serial) {
; // wait for serial port to connect. Needed for native USB port only
}

// send an intro:
Serial.println("\n\nString substring():");
Serial.println();
}

void loop() {
// Set up a String:
String stringOne = "Content-Type: text/html";
Serial.println(stringOne);

// substring(index) looks for the substring from the index position to the end:
if (stringOne.substring(19) == "html") {
Serial.println("It's an html file");
}
// you can also look for a substring in the middle of a string:
if (stringOne.substring(14, 18) == "text") {
Serial.println("It's a text-based file");
}

// do nothing while true:
while (true);
}

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