What's the difference between...

What's the difference between these two calls..

Code:

---


            s.Account.LastIP = String.Copy(s.RemoteIP)
         
            -and-

            s.Account.LastIP = [String].Copy(s.RemoteIP)

---

I haven't quite figured out what the brackets do...

http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.p...hreadid=256799

Aye Edneeis,
I referenced that before I posted, I am still unclear with this concept. You said that you use brackets in a namespace where an object could have two meanings? Where else in a routine would a String/[String] have any other meaning but being a string. A rose by any other name will still smell the same won't it? I guess what I'm asking for is an example on where you would be required to wrap a String in brackets..

The only situation I know the sqaure brackets '[]' are used is where you want to use a word that may have another meaning. An example is:

VB Code:

private sub [Next]()
    'method implementation
    '
End Sub

Without the square brackets, an exception occures because 'Next' is a keyword.

'hope it helps...

Where did you see it used? It could be part of some sort of naming convention that they use. For String there doesn't seem to be a big need for the bracets but there are some needs:

VB Code:

Imports System.Data.DbType
 
Public Class Example
 
    Public Shared Sub Test()
        Dim x As String = String.Copy("Something")
        'in order to use the String value of the DbType Enum we must bracet it since it is imported to that level
        Dim s As String = [String].ToString
        MsgBox(String.Format("x: {1}{0}s: {2}", ControlChars.NewLine, x, s))
 
    End Sub
 
End Class

I once saw it in a vb.net book, I cannot remeber the title now. I'm using it in the application I'm developing at hand.