---
title: Utilities.clsStringUtilities
summary: API reference for Utilities.clsStringUtilities.
status: draft
owner: SAIF Doc Gen
last_reviewed: 2026-08-17
library: SAIF.Presentation.Web.Core.Infragistics111
reference_type: package
---

# Utilities.clsStringUtilities

`Utilities.clsStringUtilities` is a stateless static service that sanitizes raw text before it reaches e-mail, reports, or `mailto:` links, protecting downstream consumers from Word-originated special characters, non-printable bytes, and characters that would break a `mailto:` URL.

## Purpose
- Replace known Word-originated special characters (smart quotes, smart apostrophe, bullets, tab) with plain-text equivalents. ([BR-CORE-040](../../business-rules.md#br-core-040-known-word-originated-characters-smart-quotes-bullets-tabs-are-normalized-before-text-leaves-the-application))
- Strip any character outside the printable ASCII range (plus CR/LF) from text destined for e-mail or reports, substituting a space for anything removed. ([BR-CORE-041](../../business-rules.md#br-core-041-only-printable-ascii-32126-plus-cr-and-lf-survive-cleanstring-all-other-characters-become-spaces))
- Escape or remove characters that would break a `mailto:` URL (quotes, `#`, `?`, `&`, CRLF, tab) before recipient/subject text is placed in one. ([BR-CORE-042](../../business-rules.md#br-core-042-mailto-text-has-and-removed-and-and-crlftab-url-encoded))

## Context
- Namespace: `SAIF.Presentation.Web.Core.Utilities`
- Assembly/package: `SAIF.Presentation.Web.Core.Infragistics111` (merged into `SAIF.Presentation.Web.Infragistics111.dll` via `SAIF.BOF.Presentation.Web.Infragistics111.nuspec`)

## Public members
| Member | Signature | Purpose |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `CleanString(text)` | `Public Shared Function CleanString(text As String) As String` | Replaces Word-originated characters — tab with five spaces, smart apostrophe, smart quotes, round bullet, and square bullet — with plain equivalents, then rebuilds the string keeping only printable ASCII (32–126) plus CR (13) and LF (10), substituting a space for everything else. |
| `CleanForEmail(text)` | `Public Shared Function CleanForEmail(text As String) As String` | Returns `Nothing` unchanged; otherwise replaces `"` with `'`, removes `#` and `?`, replaces `&` with `and`, and URL-encodes CRLF and tab so the result is safe to place inside a `mailto:` URL. |

## Behavioral notes
- `CleanString`'s ASCII-range filter silently discards or replaces any non-ASCII character (e.g. accented letters, non-Latin scripts) with a space, which may alter meaning for internationalized text.*
- `CleanForEmail` is applied to recipient and subject text before a `mailto:` string is assembled in `AppViewPageBase`, but the corresponding body-sanitization call is commented out in that caller, so body text bypasses this sanitization.*

## Constraints and usage notes
- `CleanString` is lossy for non-ASCII content; callers handling internationalized user input should be aware that non-ASCII characters become spaces rather than being preserved or transliterated.

> **Note:** Statements marked with * were inferred from code structure, naming conventions, or contextual evidence where direct confirmation was not available in source artifacts. Statements marked with ** could not be confirmed; treat as unknown until verified.

## Sources
- `SAIF.Presentation.Web.Core.Infragistics111/clsStringUtilities.vb`