336

I am retrieving a lot of information in a list, linked to a database and I want to create a string of groups, for someone who is connected to the website.

I use this to test but this is not dynamic, so it is really bad:

string strgroupids = "6";

I want to use this now. But the string returned is something like 1,2,3,4,5,

groupIds.ForEach((g) =>
{
    strgroupids = strgroupids  + g.ToString() + ",";
    strgroupids.TrimEnd(',');
});

strgroupids.TrimEnd(new char[] { ',' });

I want to delete the , after the 5 but it's definitely not working.

NoDataDumpNoContribution
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Kiwimoisi
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    The solution to the direct problem is `strgroupids = strgroupids.TrimEnd(new char[] { ',' });` but there are better ideas below. – H H Oct 26 '11 at 10:26

12 Answers12

760
strgroupids = strgroupids.Remove(strgroupids.Length - 1);

MSDN:

String.Remove(Int32):

Deletes all the characters from this string beginning at a specified position and continuing through the last position

sll
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    Perfect to remove last char if you want to remove last char. For OP's question, the problem should not exist if you dont create a trailing char. Check @Øyvind Bråthen solution if you are in OP's boat. – aloisdg Jun 06 '18 at 09:48
  • Make sure to check the strings `Length` before doing this, it might be empty and the index you're giving the `Remove` method would be negative which is invalid. – baltermia Aug 16 '22 at 11:04
112

What about doing it this way

strgroupids = string.Join( ",", groupIds );

A lot cleaner.

It will append all elements inside groupIds with a ',' between each, but it will not put a ',' at the end.

Øyvind Bråthen
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42

In C# 8 ranges and indices were introduced, giving us a new more succinct solution:

strgroupids = strgroupids[..^1];
Dodgyrabbit
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40

Strings in c# are immutable. When in your code you do strgroupids.TrimEnd(','); or strgroupids.TrimEnd(new char[] { ',' }); the strgroupids string is not modified.

You need to do something like strgroupids = strgroupids.TrimEnd(','); instead.

To quote from here:

Strings are immutable--the contents of a string object cannot be changed after the object is created, although the syntax makes it appear as if you can do this. For example, when you write this code, the compiler actually creates a new string object to hold the new sequence of characters, and that new object is assigned to b. The string "h" is then eligible for garbage collection.

Andy Johnson
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15

Add an extension method.

public static string RemoveLast(this string text, string character)
{
    if(text.Length < 1) return text;
    return text.Remove(text.ToString().LastIndexOf(character), character.Length);
}

then use:

yourString.RemoveLast(",");
Md Nazmoon Noor
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  • The basic idea of creating an extension method is good. However, IMHO, the method implemented here is overkill, for this usage. OP knew the character he wanted was at the end of the string, so no reason to have the expense of *searching* for that string, via LastIndexOf. Just take the accepted answer, and make it an extension method. Or generalize that answer, by passing in `int n`, the number of characters to remove at end. Second, you test for zero length, but that doesn't eliminate all possible exceptions. Would be better to do `int index = ..LastIndexOf..`, then `if (index >= 0)`. – ToolmakerSteve Sep 20 '16 at 13:23
  • Third, the parameter `string character` is poorly named. Fourth, it isn't immediately obvious to future programmers that this is removing characters *at the end* of the string. Oh wait, it isn't necessarily doing so. It is searching the string. It could be removing from somewhere in the middle. Now the maintenance programmer has to examine all uses of the method, to see what was trying to be accomplished. Not a good method to call, for this simple need of removing from the end of a string. Sorry for all the criticism; I do so for anyone who adopts this method, so they understand. – ToolmakerSteve Sep 20 '16 at 13:29
  • Fifth, in the context of the question, `String.TrimEnd` would be more appropriate to use. But wait, that already exists - and was mentioned in the original question and several other answers 3 years ago - no need to invent a new method! What is the benefit of your approach? – ToolmakerSteve Sep 20 '16 at 13:47
9

Removes any trailing commas:

while (strgroupids.EndsWith(","))
    strgroupids = strgroupids.Substring(0, strgroupids.Length - 1);

This is backwards though, you wrote the code that adds the comma in the first place. You should use string.Join(",",g) instead, assuming g is a string[]. Give it a better name than g too !

Kieren Johnstone
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5

Additional to sll's solution: It's better to trim the string in case there are some blank(s) at the end.

strgroupids = strgroupids.Remove(strgroupids.Trim().Length - 1);
tanzer
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4

As an alternate to adding a comma for each item you could just using String.Join:

var strgroupids = String.Join(",",  groupIds);

This will add the seperator ("," in this instance) between each element in the array.

Gary.S
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3

string.Join is better, but if you really want a LINQ ForEach:

var strgroupids = string.Empty;

groupIds.ForEach(g =>
{
    if(strgroupids != string.Empty){
        strgroupids += ",";
    }

    strgroupids += g;
});

Some notes:

  • string.Join and foreach are both better than this, vastly slower, approach
  • No need to remove the last , since it's never appended
  • The increment operator (+=) is handy for appending to strings
  • .ToString() is unnecessary as it is called automatically when concatenating non-strings
  • When handling large strings, StringBuilder should be considered instead of concatenating strings
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    BUG - need to reverse the if test - should be `if(strgroupids != string.Empty){` – ToolmakerSteve Sep 20 '16 at 13:08
  • But thank you for adding an answer that shows how to use for-each to build the string without the unwanted "," at end! Note that it isn't necessary to make a lambda and `ForEach`; `foreach (var g in groupIds) {` works just as well :) – ToolmakerSteve Sep 20 '16 at 13:50
  • n1 @ToolmakerSteve, about the LINQ then it's the OPs code I took –  Sep 21 '16 at 18:51
3
string strgroupids = string.Empty;

groupIds.ForEach(g =>
{
    strgroupids = strgroupids + g.ToString() + ",";
});

strgroupids = strgroupids.Substring(0, strgroupids.Length - 1);

Note that the use of ForEach here is normally considered "wrong" (read for example http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ericlippert/archive/2009/05/18/foreach-vs-foreach.aspx)

Using some LINQ:

string strgroupids = groupIds.Aggregate(string.Empty, (p, q) => p + q + ',');
strgroupids = strgroupids.Substring(0, str1.Length - 1);

Without end-substringing:

string strgroupids = groupIds.Aggregate(string.Empty, (p, q) => (p != string.Empty ? p + "," + q : q.ToString()));
xanatos
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    @KierenJohnstone `string.Join` is perfect IF you have an array of strings as the source OR you have C# 4.0 – xanatos Oct 26 '11 at 10:40
1

There is no "quick-and-dirty" way of doing this. I usually do:

mystring= string.Concat(mystring.Take(mystring.Length-1));
Zuabros
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1

That code delete the last character in a string

string myString = "Hello;";    
myString = myString.Remove(myString.Length-1);

Output

Hello