You can create a multiline JavaScript string using newline, concatenation, and pattern string literals. Pattern string literals are the most modern syntax and also allow you to embed variables in a string.
Ever wanted to span a string across multiple lines of text ? I wouldn’t be surprised. This is a very common need for developers. The last thing you want to do is add a string in your code that doesn’t display the way you want it to.
Don’t worry, JavaScript has us covered. In JavaScript, there are three ways to create multiline strings:
Using newline characters ().
Using string concatenation.
Using pattern string literals.
In this guide, we’ll explain how to use each of these three approaches to write a multiline string. We’ll see examples of each approach so you can get started easily.
Before ES6: Newlines and Concatenation
Prior to ECMAScript 6 (ES6), you had to use a newline characters or concatenation of strings to separate a string into multiple lines.
Newline characters are part of the string. These characters are common to many programming languages. A newline character is indicated by " ". We can use this character to extend our string over multiple lines. The resulting output is as follows:
Our code returns our four Harry Potter characters on new lines. Each designates a new line. If we wanted to have one line space between each name, we would have to specify two characters.
In this example, we also depend on newline characters. These are indicated by the example. This approach is useful if you have multiple strings that you want to display on different lines. But your code can get messy very quickly. No one likes messy code.
These are acceptable ways to create multiple lines in JavaScript. But, with the advent of ES6, there’s a new way to do the same thing: string patterns.
JavaScript multiline string: character string patterns
As part of EcmaScript 6 (ES6), we can use return ticks to create a string formatted in a way particular. This is called a pattern string literal. You can add new line breaks by using the Enter key in a pattern string literal.
The reverse check mark, " ", is the leftmost key on a standard keyboard.
Let’s look at the syntax of a string literal:
We have declared a string that spans multiple lines. The inverted control character denotes a literal string.
A big advantage of literal string syntax is that you can use variables in the string. Use $ {variableNameHere} to add variables to your literal template, like this:
Our code returns:
We used the syntax $ {} to add the contents of a variable to our string. For this syntax to work, we need to use the back check marks to declare our string. Let’s look at a more complicated example:
Our code returns:
One thing to note with the literal model is that it will observe all spaces and carriage returns.
That’s all ; that’s all there is to it ! You now have the ability to write multiline JavaScript strings in both ES6 and ES5 syntax !
Conclusion
There are three ways to create a multiline string in JavaScript. We can use the concatenation operator, a newline character (), and pattern literals. Template literals were introduced in ES6. They also allow you to add the contents of a variable to a string.
Do you want to know more about JavaScript ? Check out our Complete guide on how to learn JavaScript . expert advice and tips on the best courses, books and online resources in this guide.
Thanks for explaining! I was stuck with Multiline Javascript String for some hours, finally got it done 🤗. Checked yesterday, it works!
Marie Ungerschaft
Prague | 2023-02-01
I was preparing for my coding interview, thanks for clarifying this - Multiline Javascript String in Python is not the simplest one. Checked yesterday, it works!
Anna Robinson
Shanghai | 2023-02-01
Thanks for explaining! I was stuck with Multiline Javascript String for some hours, finally got it done 🤗. Will use it in my bachelor thesis
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