Converting a NSAttributedString into a NSString using Swift

Question

I have a NSMutableAttributedString and want to convert it back into a simple String.

var attributedString = NSMutableAttributedString(string: "hello w0rld")

How can I get just the String out of a NSMutableAttributedString the easiest?

score 131 · Accepted Answer · edited Aug 25 '14 at 19:40

131

Use the string property on NSMutableAttributedString:

var attributedString = NSMutableAttributedString(string: "hello, world!")
var s = attributedString.string

edited Aug 25 '14 at 19:40

jtbandes

answered Aug 25 '14 at 19:40

mipadi

7

@Julian: Well, yes, an `NSString` doesn't have any attributes. – mipadi Aug 13 '15 at 16:28
Right, but the NSAttributedString does. I was hoping that the attributes would be rendered along with the string. You know what I mean? otherwise these get lost. – Julian B. Aug 13 '15 at 16:39
2

@Julian: In that case, you wouldn't bother converting to `NSString`. – mipadi Aug 13 '15 at 16:45
There are things are simpler with regular strings like adjusting the text to fit a frame, or replacing the text of label. Additionally, it is less expensive to use strings if you are manipulating the text frequently. So this is why I would bother converting it. – Julian B. Aug 13 '15 at 16:54
@JulianB. if you want a normal string with attributes conserved, use String(yourAttributedString) – Guy Oct 04 '16 at 14:16
2

The `string` property returns a `String` object, not an `NSString` object. – ThomasW Apr 16 '18 at 04:15

score 6 · Answer 2 · answered Apr 16 '18 at 04:16

6

If you strictly want an NSString, not a String use the following:

let s = attributedString.string as NSString

answered Apr 16 '18 at 04:16

ThomasW

This answer has already given by `mipadi`. OP asked for `NSString` because question is old and at that time `Swift` had `NSString` not `String`. So nowadays probably nobody would like to get `NSString` from `NSMutableAttributedString`. – TheTiger Apr 16 '18 at 05:06
@TheTiger There are still cases where you might specifically want an `NSString` instead of a `String`. In particular, if you need to use an `NSRange` from the string. `NSRange` is not compatible with `Range`. – ThomasW Apr 16 '18 at 05:09
Still in 2018 it is very basic to convert `String` into `NSString`. – TheTiger Apr 16 '18 at 05:18
1

Sure, it is basic, but some people don't know and if you Google this is the first answer that comes up, so for some people this might be helpful. – ThomasW Apr 16 '18 at 07:03

score 2 · Answer 3 · edited Apr 16 '18 at 05:07

2

if you want to keep the atributted string simply use yourLabel.attributedText = atributedTtext

edited Apr 16 '18 at 05:07

TheTiger

answered Apr 26 '17 at 19:07

gabriel igliozzi

3 Answers3