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# string(withContentsOf:)

Returns a string created by reading data from the file named by a given URL.

```
class func string(withContentsOf url: URL) -> Any?
```

## Discussion

If the contents begin with a byte-order mark (`U+FEFF` or `U+FFFE`), interprets the contents as UTF-16 code units. If the contents begin with a UTF-8 byte-order mark (EFBBBF), interprets the contents as UTF-8. Otherwise interprets the contents as data in the default C string encoding. Since the default C string encoding will vary with the user’s configuration, do not depend on this method unless you are using Unicode or UTF-8 or you can verify the default C string encoding. Returns `nil` if the location can’t be opened.

## See Also


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