Get nth character of a string in Swift programming language

Question

How can I get the nth character of a string? I tried bracket([]) accessor with no luck.

var string = \"Hello, world!\"

var firstChar = string[         


        

Answer 1

Swift 5.3

I think this is very elegant. Kudos at Paul Hudson of "Hacking with Swift" for this solution:

@available (macOS 10.15, * )
extension String {
    subscript(idx: Int) -> String {
        String(self[index(startIndex, offsetBy: idx)])
    }
}

Then to get one character out of the String you simply do:

var string = "Hello, world!"

var firstChar = string[0] // No error, returns "H" as a String

Answer 2

Swift 4.2

This answer is ideal because it extends String and all of its Subsequences (Substring) in one extension

public extension StringProtocol {
    
    public subscript (i: Int) -> Element {
        return self[index(startIndex, offsetBy: i)]
    }

    public subscript (bounds: CountableClosedRange<Int>) -> SubSequence {
        let start = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.lowerBound)
        let end = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.upperBound)
        return self[start...end]
    }
    
    public subscript (bounds: CountableRange<Int>) -> SubSequence {
        let start = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.lowerBound)
        let end = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.upperBound)
        return self[start..<end]
    }
    
    public subscript (bounds: PartialRangeUpTo<Int>) -> SubSequence {
        let end = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.upperBound)
        return self[startIndex..<end]
    }
    
    public subscript (bounds: PartialRangeThrough<Int>) -> SubSequence {
        let end = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.upperBound)
        return self[startIndex...end]
    }
    
    public subscript (bounds: CountablePartialRangeFrom<Int>) -> SubSequence {
        let start = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.lowerBound)
        return self[start..<endIndex]
    }
}

Usage

var str = "Hello, playground"

print(str[5...][...5][0])
// Prints ","

Answer 3

Get & Set Subscript (String & Substring) - Swift 4.2

Swift 4.2, Xcode 10

I based my answer off of @alecarlson's answer. The only big difference is you can get a Substring or a String returned (and in some cases, a single Character). You can also get and set the subscript. Lastly, mine is a bit more cumbersome and longer than @alecarlson's answer and as such, I suggest you put it in a source file.

---

Extension:

public extension String {
    public subscript (i: Int) -> Character {
        get {
            return self[index(startIndex, offsetBy: i)]
        }
        set (c) {
            let n = index(startIndex, offsetBy: i)
            replaceSubrange(n...n, with: "\(c)")
        }
    }
    public subscript (bounds: CountableRange<Int>) -> Substring {
        get {
            let start = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.lowerBound)
            let end = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.upperBound)
            return self[start ..< end]
        }
        set (s) {
            let start = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.lowerBound)
            let end = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.upperBound)
            replaceSubrange(start ..< end, with: s)
        }
    }
    public subscript (bounds: CountableClosedRange<Int>) -> Substring {
        get {
            let start = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.lowerBound)
            let end = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.upperBound)
            return self[start ... end]
        }
        set (s) {
            let start = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.lowerBound)
            let end = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.upperBound)
            replaceSubrange(start ... end, with: s)
        }
        
    }
    public subscript (bounds: CountablePartialRangeFrom<Int>) -> Substring {
        get {
            let start = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.lowerBound)
            let end = index(endIndex, offsetBy: -1)
            return self[start ... end]
        }
        set (s) {
            let start = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.lowerBound)
            let end = index(endIndex, offsetBy: -1)
            replaceSubrange(start ... end, with: s)
        }
    }
    public subscript (bounds: PartialRangeThrough<Int>) -> Substring {
        get {
            let end = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.upperBound)
            return self[startIndex ... end]
        }
        set (s) {
            let end = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.upperBound)
            replaceSubrange(startIndex ... end, with: s)
        }
    }
    public subscript (bounds: PartialRangeUpTo<Int>) -> Substring {
        get {
            let end = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.upperBound)
            return self[startIndex ..< end]
        }
        set (s) {
            let end = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.upperBound)
            replaceSubrange(startIndex ..< end, with: s)
        }
    }
    
    public subscript (i: Int) -> String {
        get {
            return "\(self[index(startIndex, offsetBy: i)])"
        }
        set (c) {
            let n = index(startIndex, offsetBy: i)
            self.replaceSubrange(n...n, with: "\(c)")
        }
    }
    public subscript (bounds: CountableRange<Int>) -> String {
        get {
            let start = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.lowerBound)
            let end = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.upperBound)
            return "\(self[start ..< end])"
        }
        set (s) {
            let start = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.lowerBound)
            let end = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.upperBound)
            replaceSubrange(start ..< end, with: s)
        }
    }
    public subscript (bounds: CountableClosedRange<Int>) -> String {
        get {
            let start = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.lowerBound)
            let end = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.upperBound)
            return "\(self[start ... end])"
        }
        set (s) {
            let start = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.lowerBound)
            let end = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.upperBound)
            replaceSubrange(start ... end, with: s)
        }
        
    }
    public subscript (bounds: CountablePartialRangeFrom<Int>) -> String {
        get {
            let start = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.lowerBound)
            let end = index(endIndex, offsetBy: -1)
            return "\(self[start ... end])"
        }
        set (s) {
            let start = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.lowerBound)
            let end = index(endIndex, offsetBy: -1)
            replaceSubrange(start ... end, with: s)
        }
    }
    public subscript (bounds: PartialRangeThrough<Int>) -> String {
        get {
            let end = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.upperBound)
            return "\(self[startIndex ... end])"
        }
        set (s) {
            let end = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.upperBound)
            replaceSubrange(startIndex ... end, with: s)
        }
    }
    public subscript (bounds: PartialRangeUpTo<Int>) -> String {
        get {
            let end = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.upperBound)
            return "\(self[startIndex ..< end])"
        }
        set (s) {
            let end = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.upperBound)
            replaceSubrange(startIndex ..< end, with: s)
        }
    }
    
    public subscript (i: Int) -> Substring {
        get {
            return Substring("\(self[index(startIndex, offsetBy: i)])")
        }
        set (c) {
            let n = index(startIndex, offsetBy: i)
            replaceSubrange(n...n, with: "\(c)")
        }
    }
}
public extension Substring {
    public subscript (i: Int) -> Character {
        get {
            return self[index(startIndex, offsetBy: i)]
        }
        set (c) {
            let n = index(startIndex, offsetBy: i)
            replaceSubrange(n...n, with: "\(c)")
        }
        
    }
    public subscript (bounds: CountableRange<Int>) -> Substring {
        get {
            let start = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.lowerBound)
            let end = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.upperBound)
            return self[start ..< end]
        }
        set (s) {
            let start = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.lowerBound)
            let end = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.upperBound)
            replaceSubrange(start ..< end, with: s)
        }
    }
    public subscript (bounds: CountableClosedRange<Int>) -> Substring {
        get {
            let start = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.lowerBound)
            let end = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.upperBound)
            return self[start ... end]
        }
        set (s) {
            let start = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.lowerBound)
            let end = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.upperBound)
            replaceSubrange(start ... end, with: s)
        }
    }
    public subscript (bounds: CountablePartialRangeFrom<Int>) -> Substring {
        get {
            let start = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.lowerBound)
            let end = index(endIndex, offsetBy: -1)
            return self[start ... end]
        }
        set (s) {
            let start = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.lowerBound)
            let end = index(endIndex, offsetBy: -1)
            replaceSubrange(start ... end, with: s)
        }
        
    }
    public subscript (bounds: PartialRangeThrough<Int>) -> Substring {
        get {
            let end = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.upperBound)
            return self[startIndex ... end]
        }
        set (s) {
            let end = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.upperBound)
            replaceSubrange(startIndex ..< end, with: s)
        }
    }
    public subscript (bounds: PartialRangeUpTo<Int>) -> Substring {
        get {
            let end = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.upperBound)
            return self[startIndex ..< end]
        }
        set (s) {
            let end = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.upperBound)
            replaceSubrange(startIndex ..< end, with: s)
        }
    }
    public subscript (i: Int) -> String {
        get {
            return "\(self[index(startIndex, offsetBy: i)])"
        }
        set (c) {
            let n = index(startIndex, offsetBy: i)
            replaceSubrange(n...n, with: "\(c)")
        }
    }
    public subscript (bounds: CountableRange<Int>) -> String {
        get {
            let start = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.lowerBound)
            let end = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.upperBound)
            return "\(self[start ..< end])"
        }
        set (s) {
            let start = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.lowerBound)
            let end = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.upperBound)
            replaceSubrange(start ..< end, with: s)
        }
    }
    public subscript (bounds: CountableClosedRange<Int>) -> String {
        get {
            let start = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.lowerBound)
            let end = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.upperBound)
            return "\(self[start ... end])"
        }
        set (s) {
            let start = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.lowerBound)
            let end = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.upperBound)
            replaceSubrange(start ... end, with: s)
        }
        
    }
    public subscript (bounds: CountablePartialRangeFrom<Int>) -> String {
        get {
            let start = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.lowerBound)
            let end = index(endIndex, offsetBy: -1)
            return "\(self[start ... end])"
        }
        set (s) {
            let start = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.lowerBound)
            let end = index(endIndex, offsetBy: -1)
            replaceSubrange(start ... end, with: s)
        }
    }
    public subscript (bounds: PartialRangeThrough<Int>) -> String {
        get {
            let end = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.upperBound)
            return "\(self[startIndex ... end])"
        }
        set (s) {
            let end = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.upperBound)
            replaceSubrange(startIndex ... end, with: s)
        }
    }
    public subscript (bounds: PartialRangeUpTo<Int>) -> String {
        get {
            let end = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.upperBound)
            return "\(self[startIndex ..< end])"
        }
        set (s) {
            let end = index(startIndex, offsetBy: bounds.upperBound)
            replaceSubrange(startIndex ..< end, with: s)
        }
    }
    
    public subscript (i: Int) -> Substring {
        get {
            return Substring("\(self[index(startIndex, offsetBy: i)])")
        }
        set (c) {
            let n = index(startIndex, offsetBy: i)
            replaceSubrange(n...n, with: "\(c)")
        }
    }
}

Answer 4

Swift 5.1.3:

Add a String extension:

extension String {

 func stringAt(_ i: Int) -> String { 
   return String(Array(self)[i]) 
 } 

 func charAt(_ i: Int) -> Character { 
  return Array(self)[i] 
 } 
}

let str = "Teja Kumar"
let str1: String = str.stringAt(2)  //"j"
let str2: Character = str.charAt(5)  //"k"

Answer 5

Swift 4

String(Array(stringToIndex)[index]) 

This is probably the best way of solving this problem one-time. You probably want to cast the String as an array first, and then cast the result as a String again. Otherwise, a Character will be returned instead of a String.

Example String(Array("HelloThere")[1]) will return "e" as a String.

(Array("HelloThere")[1] will return "e" as a Character.

Swift does not allow Strings to be indexed like arrays, but this gets the job done, brute-force style.

Answer 6

Here's an extension you can use, working with Swift 3.1. A single index will return a Character, which seems intuitive when indexing a String, and a Range will return a String.

extension String {
    subscript (i: Int) -> Character {
        return Array(self.characters)[i]
    }
    
    subscript (r: CountableClosedRange<Int>) -> String {
        return String(Array(self.characters)[r])
    }
    
    subscript (r: CountableRange<Int>) -> String {
        return self[r.lowerBound...r.upperBound-1]
    }
}

Some examples of the extension in action:

let string = "Hello"

let c1 = string[1]  // Character "e"
let c2 = string[-1] // fatal error: Index out of range

let r1 = string[1..<4] // String "ell"
let r2 = string[1...4] // String "ello"
let r3 = string[1...5] // fatal error: Array index is out of range

---

n.b. You could add an additional method to the above extension to return a String with a single character if wanted:

subscript (i: Int) -> String {
    return String(self[i])
}

Note that then you would have to explicitly specify the type you wanted when indexing the string:

let c: Character = string[3] // Character "l"
let s: String = string[0]    // String "H"