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What is the difference between String.Empty and "" (empty string)?

In .NET, what is the difference between String.Empty and "", and are they interchangeable, or is there some underlying reference or Localization issues around equality that String.Empty will ensure are not a problem?

Solution

  • In .NET prior to version 2.0, "" creates an object while string.Empty creates no objectref, which makes string.Empty more efficient.

    In version 2.0 and later of .NET, all occurrences of "" refer to the same string literal, which means "" is equivalent to .Empty, but still not as fast as .Length == 0.

    .Length == 0 is the fastest option, but .Empty makes for slightly cleaner code.

    See the .NET specification for more information.