Updating a String link

An existing string can be updated by appending a character or a string.

💡 Why not make a new String rather than updating an existing one?

Updating an existing String is useful when you want to make changes to an existing String at run time rather than compile one like, in situations where changes are made to the String on a condition.

Push a Single Character link

There are cases when it is required to update a string by pushing a single character. One example is to create a string which contains a single character repeated N times on a particular condition. Rust helps you do it by using the push method.

• Steps to push a character to a String:

  • Make a mutable string variable.
  • To push a single Unicode character to a String object, pass a character within the push() built-in method.
  • The following code shows how to do it!

       fn main() {
 // define a String object
 let mut course = String::from("Rus");
 // push a character
 course.push('t');
 println!("This is a beginner course in {}.", course);
}
  
  

output

  This is a beginner course in Rust.
 
  

There are cases when it is required to grow a String by concatenating a new String to an existing String. Rust helps you do it by using the push,+ operator and the format! macro method.

Push a String link

Rust helps you to grow a String object using a push_str method.

• Steps to push a String to a String:
  • Make a mutable String variable.
  • To push a string to a growable string variable, pass a character within the push_str() built-in method.

The following code shows how to do it

  fn main() {
  // define a string object
  let mut course = String::from("Rust");
  // push a string
  course.push_str(" Programming");
  println!("This is a beginner course in {}.", course);
}
  

output

  This is a beginner course in Rust Programming.
  

Concatenation Using + Operator link

A String can be concatenated to another String using the + operator. Note: The right-hand-side operand is to borrowed while concatenating using + operator. The following code shows how to do it!

  #[allow(unused_variables, unused_mut)]
fn main(){
   // define a String object 
   let course = "Rust".to_string();
   // define a String object
   let course_type = " beginner course".to_string();
   // concatenate using the + operator
   let result = course + &course_type;
   println!("{}", result);
}
  

output

  Rust beginner course
  

Format Macro link

To add two or more String objects together, there is a macro called format!. It takes variables or values and merges them in a single String.

  Note: The format! macro allows concatenating in the desired order by passing a positive integer number within the placeholder. 
If the number is not mentioned it will concatenate in the order of the values written.

To display the result of format! macro, the result is to be saved in a variable.
  

The following code shows how to do it!

  fn main(){
  
   let course = "Rust".to_string();
   let _course_type = "beginner course".to_string();
   // default format macro 
   let result = format!("{} {}", course, _course_type);
   // passing value in the placeholder in the format macro 
   let result = format!("{1} {0}", course,_course_type);
   println!("{}", result);
}
  

output

  beginner course Rust
  

Quiz link

Test your understanding of updating a String in Rust.