How to Convert From String to Char in C++

Storing data in human-readable strings is more convenient than storing in binary.

Handling text is an important aspect of software development. The C++ language has two methods of handling text: C-Style strings and C++ Strings. Converting between the two is often necessary when using functions from older libraries. If you need to convert a C++ String into a C-Style string, one approach is to extract the individual characters from the C++ String and place them one at a time into the C-Style string.

Things You'll Need

• C++ Compiler, such as GCC
• C++ Integrated Development Environment, such as Eclipse CDT

Instructions

1. Create a new C++ source code file.

2. Import the C++ String library by writing the following line at the top of your source code:

   #include <string>

3. Create a new C++ String in a source code file by writing a line like this:

   string str ("C++ String");

4. Define a character type to hold the characters in the C++ String:

   char temp;

5. Assign a character to temp by using the [] operators of the C++ String. The number between the square brackets will select the character at that location in the C++ String, with the first character starting in index 0. In the example below, the fifth character of string str ('S') is assigned to temp.

   temp = str[5];

References

• CPlusPlus.com: String Class