Concatenating strings

Ruby:
Concatenating strings

How to:

In Ruby, you can concatenate strings with the + operator or the << method, which modifies the string in place. Here’s how to connect the dots—or rather, the words:

# Using the + operator, which returns a new string
greeting = "Hello, " + "world!"
puts greeting # Output: Hello, world!

# Using the << method, which alters the original string
name = "Alice"
name << ", meet Bob"
puts name # Output: Alice, meet Bob

Deep Dive

Concatenation has been in Ruby since its birth. But with time, the language has provided more ways to weave strings together.

We’ve covered + and <<, but there’s also concat method and interpolation.

Using concat: This method is like << but allows you to tack on multiple strings at once.

phrase = "Roses are red"
phrase.concat(", violets are blue")
puts phrase # Output: Roses are red, violets are blue

Interpolation: Puts variables into a string without directly concatenating them. It’s neater and preferred for inserting variables:

mood = "excited"
message = "I am #{mood} to learn Ruby!"
puts message # Output: I am excited to learn Ruby!

Interpolation automatically calls to_s on any variable, ensuring non-string types play nice inside a string.

Also, remember—it’s not just about sticking words together; Ruby keeps an eye on performance too. When you use +, Ruby creates a new string. Over time or in loops, this can be memory-hungry. In contrast, << and concat modify the original string, which is often more efficient.

Ruby:Concatenating strings

How to:

Deep Dive

See Also

Ruby:
Concatenating strings