Working with Strings in .NET: A Beginner's Guide

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In this article, we'll cover the basics of working with strings in .NET using some advanced techniques.

### Introduction

Strings are a fundamental data type in any programming language and .NET is no exception. However, unlike other languages like C++ or Java where you have direct access to underlying memory operations through pointer arithmetic etc., string manipulation involves many layers of abstraction due primarily because they're immutable objects (you can't change 'Hello' once it's created; instead you'd get a new reference pointing somewhere else in memory).

### Hexadecimal Representation

Sometimes, especially when dealing with binary data such as byte arrays or streams, working directly with hexadecimal representations becomes necessary. Fortunately, .NET provides several convenient methods to convert between these formats.

```csharp

byte'' bytes = { 0x01, 0xFF };

string hexString = string.Concat(bytes.Select(b => b.ToString('X2')));

```

In this example code snippet above we first create a byte array containing two values: the hexadecimal equivalent of '1' (in decimal) followed by FF which is represented as '{ 0x01, 0xFF }'.

### LINQ to the Rescue

The .NET Framework also includes an extensive set of libraries and frameworks that make working with data much easier. One such library is Language Integrated Query or LINQ for short.

LINQ allows you to query collections (such as arrays or lists) using a SQL-like syntax, making it easy to perform complex operations on your data without having to worry about the underlying implementation details.

Here's an example of how we can use LINQ to convert each byte in our array into its corresponding hexadecimal representation:

```c

byte'' bytes = { 0x01, 0xFF };

string hexString = string.Concat(bytes.Select(b => b.ToString('X2')));

```

###

In conclusion, working with strings and binary data is a fundamental skill that every .NET developer should possess. With the help of advanced techniques such as LINQ and hexadecimal conversions provided by the .NET Framework, you'll be able to handle even the most complex string manipulation tasks in no time.

Happy coding!

### References

* 'MSDN: String.Concat Method (String'', CultureInfo)'(https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/system.text.string.concat(string''))

* 'Ruben Bartelink's Blog - LINQ query to get all unique values from a list of objects'(http://www.rubensoft.net/2008/06/linq-query-to-get-all-unique-values-from.html)

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