[c#] How to change 1 char in the string?

I have this code:

string str = "valta is the best place in the World";

I need to replace the first symbol. When I try this:

str[0] = 'M';

I received an error. How can I do this?

I suggest you to use StringBuilder class for it and than parse it to string if you need.

System.Text.StringBuilder strBuilder = new System.Text.StringBuilder("valta is the best place in the World");
strBuilder[0] = 'M';
string str=strBuilder.ToString();

You can't change string's characters in this way, because in C# string isn't dynamic and is immutable and it's chars are readonly. For make sure in it try to use methods of string, for example, if you do str.ToLower() it makes new string and your previous string doesn't change.

While it does not answer the OP's question precisely, depending on what you're doing it might be a good solution. Below is going to solve my problem.

Let's say that you have to do a lot of individual manipulation of various characters in a string. Instead of using a string the whole time use a char[] array while you're doing the manipulation. Because you can do this:

 char[] array = "valta is the best place in the World".ToCharArray();

Then manipulate to your hearts content as much as you need...

 array[0] = "M";

Then convert it to a string once you're done and need to use it as a string:

string str = new string(array);

Strings are immutable. You can use the string builder class to help!:

string str = "valta is the best place in the World";

StringBuilder strB = new StringBuilder(str);

strB[0] = 'M';

str = "M" + str.Substring(1);

If you'll do several such changes use a StringBuilder or a char[].

(The threshold of when StringBuilder becomes quicker is after about 5 concatenations or substrings, but note that grouped concatenations of a + "b" + c + d + "e" + f are done in a single call and compile-type concatenations of "a" + "b" + "c" don't require a call at all).

It may seem that having to do this is horribly inefficient, but the fact that strings can't be changes allows for lots of efficiency gains and other advantages such as mentioned at Why .NET String is immutable?

I made a Method to do this

    string test = "Paul";
    test = ReplaceAtIndex(0, 'M', test);

    (...)

    static string ReplaceAtIndex(int i, char value, string word)
    {
        char[] letters = word.ToCharArray();
        letters[i] = value;
        return string.Join("", letters);
    }

Merged Chuck Norris's answer w/ Paulo Mendonça's using extensions methods:

/// <summary>
/// Replace a string char at index with another char
/// </summary>
/// <param name="text">string to be replaced</param>
/// <param name="index">position of the char to be replaced</param>
/// <param name="c">replacement char</param>
public static string ReplaceAtIndex(this string text, int index, char c)
{
    var stringBuilder = new StringBuilder(text);
    stringBuilder[index] = c;
    return stringBuilder.ToString();
}

I usually approach it like this:

   char[] c = text.ToCharArray();
   for (i=0; i<c.Length; i++)
   {
    if (c[i]>'9' || c[i]<'0') // use any rules of your choice
    {
     c[i]=' '; // put in any character you like
    }
   }
   // the new string can have the same name, or a new variable       
   String text=new string(c);