What is a string in programming?

In programming, a string is defined as a sequence of characters that is used to represent text. This can include letters, numbers, symbols, and spaces. Strings are fundamental data types in most programming languages and are commonly utilized for manipulating and storing text-based information, such as names, descriptions, or messages.

Choosing the definition stating that a string is a sequence of characters accurately captures its primary function and usage in programming. Strings allow for various operations, such as concatenation (joining strings together), slicing (extracting a portion of a string), and comparing lengths or content. Other options do not appropriately describe what a string is; they refer to different programming concepts altogether. For instance, numeric data encompasses numbers rather than textual content, code blocks refer to segments of code that execute tasks rather than text representation, and external libraries contain pre-written code for specific functionalities, rather than describing a data type like string.