# DataType:string
A string is an array of characters. In MQ2 there is no single character datatype, so any variable or expression that contains text is considered a string.
## Members
| **Type** | **Member** | **Description** |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| \\[*string*](/macroquest/data-types-and-top-level-objects/data-types/datatype-string.md)\\ | **Arg\[**#**,**s**]** | Returns the #th argument of the string separated by s. The separator s must be a single character (defaults to space).
See below for difference between Token and Arg
|
| [*int*](/macroquest/data-types-and-top-level-objects/data-types/datatype-int.md) | **Compare\[**text**]** | Determines how the initial string and the second string, text, compare to each other:
- If both are the same, Compare will return 0.
- If the string is alphabetically before text, Compare will return -1.
- If text is alphabetically after string, Compare will return 1.
Compare is case-insensitive
|
| [*int*](/macroquest/data-types-and-top-level-objects/data-types/datatype-int.md) | **CompareCS\[**text**]** | CompareCS is exactly the same as **Compare**, except that it is case-sensitive |
| [*int*](/macroquest/data-types-and-top-level-objects/data-types/datatype-int.md) | **Count\[**c**]** | Returns how many times a single character *c* occurs in the string |
| [*bool*](/macroquest/data-types-and-top-level-objects/data-types/datatype-bool.md) | **Equal\[**text**]** | If the initial string and the second string *text* are exactly the same, returns TRUE. **Equal** is case-insensitive |
| [*bool*](/macroquest/data-types-and-top-level-objects/data-types/datatype-bool.md) | **EqualCS\[**text**]** | **EqualCS** is exactly the same as **Equal**, except that it is case-sensitive |
| [*int*](/macroquest/data-types-and-top-level-objects/data-types/datatype-int.md) | **Find\[**text**]** | This tries to find the second string text within the original string:
- If it is successful, it returns the first position in the string where text begins.
- It returns NULL if text is not found.
Find is case-insensitive
|
| [*int*](/macroquest/data-types-and-top-level-objects/data-types/datatype-int.md) | **Length** | Returns the length of the string as an integer |
| \\[*string*](/macroquest/data-types-and-top-level-objects/data-types/datatype-string.md)\\ | **Left\[**#**]** | Returns the first # characters of the string. A negative # will return the whole string except for the last # characters |
| \\[*string*](/macroquest/data-types-and-top-level-objects/data-types/datatype-string.md)\\ | **Lower** | Returns the string in all lower-case |
| \\[*string*](/macroquest/data-types-and-top-level-objects/data-types/datatype-string.md)\\ | **Mid\[**p**,**n**]** | Returns a segment of the string, starting at position **p** and running **n** characters |
| [*bool*](/macroquest/data-types-and-top-level-objects/data-types/datatype-bool.md) | **NotEqual\[**text**]** | If the initial string and the second string *text* are exactly the same, returns FALSE. **NotEqual** is case-insensitive |
| [*bool*](/macroquest/data-types-and-top-level-objects/data-types/datatype-bool.md) | **NotEqualCS\[**text**]** | **NotEqualCS** is exactly the same as **NotEqual**, except that it is case-sensitive |
| \\[*string*](/macroquest/data-types-and-top-level-objects/data-types/datatype-string.md)\\ | **Replace\[**ReplaceThis**,**WithThis**]** | Replaces *ReplaceThis* with *WithThis* |
| \\[*string*](/macroquest/data-types-and-top-level-objects/data-types/datatype-string.md)\\ | **Right\[**#**]** | Returns the last # characters of the string. A negative # will return the whole string except for the first # characters |
| \\[*string*](/macroquest/data-types-and-top-level-objects/data-types/datatype-string.md)\\ | **Token\[**#**,**s**]** | Returns the #th token of the string separated by s. The separator s must be a single character (defaults to space).
See below for difference between Arg and Token
|
| \\[*string*](/macroquest/data-types-and-top-level-objects/data-types/datatype-string.md)\\ | **Upper** | Returns the string in all upper-case |
| \\[*string*](/macroquest/data-types-and-top-level-objects/data-types/datatype-string.md)\\ | **To String** | This is a string! |
## Examples
### Simple Examples
```
/declare TestString abcdebc
/echo ${TestString.Find[bc]} Will return 2
/echo ${TestString.Left[2]} Will return "ab"
/echo ${TestString.Left[-2]} Will return "abcde"
/echo ${TestString.Mid[2,3]} Will return "bcd"
/echo ${TestString.Right[2]} Will return "bc"
/echo ${TestString.Right[-2]} Will return "cdebc"
```
### Difference between Arg and Token
**Arg\[**#**,s]** and **Token\[**#**,s]** are very similar. The only difference between them is **Token** will include null values, while **Arg** will skip them. For example:
```
/declare TestString ABC,,DEF
/echo ${TestString.Arg[2,,]} Will return "DEF" because it is the second non-null string separated by a comma
/echo ${TestString.Token[2,,]} Will return "NULL" because the second token, the null string, is not ignored
```
### Compare strings to strings
* **There is a temptation by some novice MQ2 macro writers to put the string inside quotes within brackets. Don't!**
```
#Event SpellWornOff "Your #1# spell has worn off of #2#."
Sub Event_SpellWornOff(string Line, string SpellName, string OnWho)
| You can put all kinds of logic here, on what to do when certain
| buffs or debuffs wear off.
| In this example, we'll just check to see if the spell that wore
| off is a particular spell multiple words seperated by spaces.
|
| Note: No quotes inside the brackets, and pay attention
| to where the curly brackets are in the /if compare statement.
/echo SpellWornOff: ${SpellName} wore off ${OnWho}
/if (${SpellName.Equal[Enveloping Roots]}) /echo Yikes, Root wore off ... run!
/return
```
---
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