---
title: "getCharacters(_:)"
framework: foundation
role: symbol
role_heading: Instance Method
path: "foundation/nsstring/getcharacters(_:)"
---

# getCharacters(_:)

Copies all characters from the receiver into a given buffer.

## Declaration

```swift
func getCharacters(_ buffer: UnsafeMutablePointer<unichar>)
```

## Parameters

- `buffer`: Upon return, contains the characters from the receiver. buffer must be large enough to contain all characters in the string ([string length]*sizeof(unichar)).

## Discussion

Discussion Invokes getCharacters(_:range:) with buffer and the entire extent of the receiver as the range.

## See Also

### Related Documentation

- [length](foundation/nsstring/length.md)

### Deprecated

- [string(withCString:)](foundation/nsstring/string(withcstring:).md)
- [init(CString:)](foundation/nsstring/init(cstring:)-vkuo.md)
- [string(withCString:length:)](foundation/nsstring/string(withcstring:length:).md)
- [init(CString:length:)](foundation/nsstring/init(cstring:length:)-5ure3.md)
- [init(CStringNoCopy:length:freeWhenDone:)](foundation/nsstring/init(cstringnocopy:length:freewhendone:)-86dm2.md)
- [string(withContentsOfFile:)](foundation/nsstring/string(withcontentsoffile:).md)
- [init(contentsOfFile:)](foundation/nsstring/init(contentsoffile:).md)
- [string(withContentsOf:)](foundation/nsstring/string(withcontentsof:).md)
- [init(contentsOfURL:)](foundation/nsstring/init(contentsofurl:).md)
- [write(toFile:atomically:)](foundation/nsstring/write(tofile:atomically:).md)
- [write(to:atomically:)](foundation/nsstring/write(to:atomically:).md)
- [cString()](foundation/nsstring/cstring().md)
- [lossyCString()](foundation/nsstring/lossycstring().md)
- [cStringLength()](foundation/nsstring/cstringlength().md)
- [getCString(_:)](foundation/nsstring/getcstring(_:).md)