In this lesson, you'll learn how to manipulate strings in LOLCODE, or as the language calls it, SMOOSHing YARNs.

LOLCODE YARNs (Strings)

For the case of `SMOOSH`ing together strings and variables, LOLCODE supports a popular shortcut called _string interpolation_. Interpolation here refers to placing variables within strings in an easier-to-read format.

We can insert a variable inside a string using `:{`, the variable name, and `}`.

```lol
I HAS A extension ITZ "aaaaaaa"

BTW Results in "baklavaaaaaaa"
VISIBLE "baklav:{extension}"
```

The terminal will output:

```bash
baklavaaaaaaa
```

String Interpolation

LOLCODE allows us to combine, or concatenate, multiple strings together by using the `SMOOSH` and `MKAY` keywords.

For example, if the code below is executed:

```lol
BTW Results in "baklavaaaaaaa"
VISIBLE SMOOSH "baklav" "aaaaaaa" MKAY
```

The terminal will output:

```bash
baklavaaaaaaa
```

---

_`SMOOSH` is a slang for "squash" or "crush."_  
_`MKAY` is a slang for "ok."_

Strings on Strings

Most programming languages have some way of embedding specialized characters in strings that need to be presented in an unusual way. For example, "newline" characters (often represented by `\n`) indicate to move to the next line when printing.

LOLCODE has a few of these characters, and they all start with a `:` colon:

* `:)` represents a newline (\n)
* `:>` represents a tab (\t)
* `:"` represents a literal double quote (")

Because `:` colons are used to indicate a subsequent special character, `::` represents a printing a single `:` colon.

Special String Characters

**Fun fact:** _Unicode_ is the standard for how strings are stored and displayed across systems. It's maintained by the _Unicode Consortium_, a non-profit organization with responsibilities ranging from ensuring phones display languages across the world to deciding which emojis are officially added to the standard. 🙌

One section of the Unicode standard is a list of more fancy characters with corresponding friendly names. For example, `HEAVY BLACK HEART` refers to ❤.

LOLCODE supports printing these out using `:[`, the friendly name of the character, and `]`:

```lol
BTW Results in "❤"
VISIBLE ":[HEAVY BLACK HEART]"
```

The full, very long list of these characters is on [Unicode Names List](http://www.unicode.org/Public/4.1.0/ucd/NamesList.txt).