Verbatim and raw string literals in C Sharp (C#) - Step-by-Step Execution

Concept Flow - Verbatim and raw string literals

Start

↓

Choose string type

↓

Treats backslashes and newlines literally

↓

Multi-line, preserves formatting, no escapes

↓

Use string in code

↓

Output string as-is

↓

End

This flow shows choosing between verbatim (@) and raw ("""") string literals, then using and outputting them literally.

Execution Sample

C Sharp (C#)

string path = @"C:\Users\Name\Documents";
string raw = """
Line1
Line2\nLine3
""";
Console.WriteLine(path);
Console.WriteLine(raw);

This code defines a verbatim string for a file path and a raw string with multiple lines, then prints both.

Execution Table

Step	Action	Evaluation	Result
1	Assign verbatim string to path	path = @"C:\Users\Name\Documents"	path = C:\Users\Name\Documents
2	Assign raw string to raw	raw = """ Line1 Line2\nLine3 """	raw = "Line1 Line2\nLine3 " (3 lines, literal backslash n)
3	Print path	Console.WriteLine(path)	Output: C:\Users\Name\Documents
4	Print raw	Console.WriteLine(raw)	Output: Line1 Line2\nLine3
5	End of program		Program ends

💡 Program ends after printing both strings literally.

Variable Tracker

Variable	Start	After 1	After 2	Final
path	null	C:\Users\Name\Documents	C:\Users\Name\Documents	C:\Users\Name\Documents
raw	null	null	Line1 Line2\nLine3 (3 lines)	Line1 Line2\nLine3 (3 lines)

Key Moments - 3 Insights

Why does the verbatim string keep double backslashes?

Because verbatim strings treat backslashes literally, so you write double backslashes to represent one actual backslash. See step 1 in execution_table.

Why does the raw string print \n instead of a new line?

Raw strings do not process escape sequences like \n, so it prints the characters \ and n literally. See step 4 in execution_table.

How do verbatim and raw strings handle new lines differently?

Verbatim strings can include new lines directly, but raw strings preserve all formatting exactly as typed, including new lines and spaces. See variable_tracker for raw string content.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution_table, what is the value of 'path' after step 1?

A C:\\Users\\Name\\Documents

B C:/Users/Name/Documents

C C:\Users\Name\Documents

D C:UsersNameDocuments

💡 Hint

Check the 'Result' column in row 1 of execution_table.

At which step does the program print the raw string?

A Step 4

B Step 3

C Step 2

D Step 5

💡 Hint

Look for Console.WriteLine(raw) in execution_table.

If you want the raw string to interpret \n as a new line, what should you do?

A Use verbatim string instead

B Replace raw string with normal string with escapes

C Add escape sequences inside raw string

D Raw strings always interpret \n as new line

💡 Hint

Raw strings do not process escapes, see key_moments about raw string behavior.

Concept Snapshot

Verbatim strings start with @ and treat backslashes and new lines literally.
Raw strings use triple quotes """ and preserve all formatting exactly.
Verbatim strings require double backslashes for one backslash.
Raw strings do not process escape sequences like \n.
Use verbatim for Windows paths, raw for multi-line text.
Print outputs strings as they are written.

Full Transcript

This example shows how C# uses verbatim strings with @ and raw strings with triple quotes """. Verbatim strings treat backslashes literally, so double backslashes represent one backslash. Raw strings preserve all formatting including new lines and backslashes without processing escape sequences. The code assigns a verbatim string to 'path' and a raw string to 'raw', then prints both. The output shows the verbatim string as a Windows path with backslashes, and the raw string as multiple lines with literal \n characters. This helps beginners understand how these string types handle special characters and formatting differently.