---
title: "stringEncoding(for:encodingOptions:convertedString:usedLossyConversion:)"
framework: foundation
role: symbol
role_heading: Type Method
path: "foundation/nsstring/stringencoding(for:encodingoptions:convertedstring:usedlossyconversion:)"
---

# stringEncoding(for:encodingOptions:convertedString:usedLossyConversion:)

Returns the string encoding for the given data as detected by attempting to create a string according to the specified encoding options.

## Declaration

```swift
class func stringEncoding(for data: Data, encodingOptions opts: [StringEncodingDetectionOptionsKey : Any]? = nil, convertedString string: AutoreleasingUnsafeMutablePointer<NSString?>?, usedLossyConversion: UnsafeMutablePointer<ObjCBool>?) -> UInt
```

## Parameters

- `data`: An NSData object containing bytes in an encoding to be determined.
- `opts`: Options to use when attempting to determine the string encoding. See String Encoding Detection Options for a full list of supported options.
- `string`: If a string encoding could be determined, upon return contains an NSString object constructed from data using the determined string encoding.
- `usedLossyConversion`: If a string encoding could be determined, upon return contains a BOOL value corresponding to whether lossy conversion was used.

## Return Value

Return Value An NSStringEncoding value, or 0 if a string encoding could not be determined.

## See Also

### Working with Encodings

- [availableStringEncodings](foundation/nsstring/availablestringencodings.md)
- [defaultCStringEncoding](foundation/nsstring/defaultcstringencoding.md)
- [localizedName(of:)](foundation/nsstring/localizedname(of:).md)
- [canBeConverted(to:)](foundation/nsstring/canbeconverted(to:).md)
- [data(using:)](foundation/nsstring/data(using:).md)
- [data(using:allowLossyConversion:)](foundation/nsstring/data(using:allowlossyconversion:).md)
- [description](foundation/nsstring/description.md)
- [fastestEncoding](foundation/nsstring/fastestencoding.md)
- [smallestEncoding](foundation/nsstring/smallestencoding.md)
- [StringEncodingDetectionOptionsKey](foundation/stringencodingdetectionoptionskey.md)
- [NSString Handling Exception Names](foundation/nsstring-handling-exception-names.md)