    """Builder utility for constructing [[strings|String]] by
       incrementally appending strings or characters.

           value builder = StringBuilder();
           builder.append("hello");
           builder.appendCharacter(' ');
           builder.append("world");
           String hello = builder.string; //hello world"""
    tagged("Strings")
    shared native final class StringBuilder()
            satisfies SearchableList<Character> &
                      Ranged<Integer,Character,String> &
                      IndexedCorrespondenceMutator<Character> {

        "The number of characters in the current content, that
         is, the [[size|String.size]] of the produced [[string]]."
        shared actual native Integer size;

        "Determines if the current content holds at least one
         character."
        shared actual native Boolean empty;

        shared actual native Integer? lastIndex;

        "The resulting string. If no characters have been
         appended, the empty string."
        shared actual native variable String string;

        "A copy of this `StringBuilder`, whose content is
         initially the same as the current content of this
         instance."
        since("1.3.0")
        shared actual StringBuilder clone() {
            value clone = StringBuilder();
            clone.string = string;
            return clone;
        }

        shared actual native Iterator<Character> iterator();

        "Returns a string of the given [[length]] containing
         the characters beginning at the given [[index]]."
        deprecated ("use [[measure]]")
        since("1.1.0")
        shared
        String substring(Integer index, Integer length)
                => measure(index, length);

        shared actual native
        Character? getFromFirst(Integer index);

        "Append the characters in the given [[string]]."
        shared native
        StringBuilder append(String string);

        "Append the characters in the given [[strings]]."
        shared native
        StringBuilder appendAll({String*} strings) {
            for (s in strings) {
                append(s);
            }
            return this;
        }

        "Prepend the characters in the given [[string]]."
        since("1.1.0")
        shared native
        StringBuilder prepend(String string);

        "Prepend the characters in the given [[strings]]."
        since("1.1.0")
        shared native
        StringBuilder prependAll({String*} strings) {
            for (s in strings) {
                prepend(s);
            }
            return this;
        }

        "Append the given [[character]]."
        shared native
        StringBuilder appendCharacter(Character character);

        "Prepend the given [[character]]."
        since("1.1.0")
        shared native
        StringBuilder prependCharacter(Character character);

        "Append a newline character."
        shared native
        StringBuilder appendNewline() => appendCharacter('\n');

        "Append a space character."
        shared native
        StringBuilder appendSpace() => appendCharacter(' ');

        "Remove all content and return to initial state."
        since("1.1.0")
        shared native
        StringBuilder clear();

        "Set the character at the given index to the given
         [[character]]."
        since("1.3.0")
        shared actual void set(Integer index, Character character)
                => replace(index, 1, character.string);

        "Insert a [[string]] at the specified [[index]]."
        shared native
        StringBuilder insert(Integer index, String string);

        "Insert a [[character]] at the specified [[index]]."
        shared native
        StringBuilder insertCharacter
                (Integer index, Character character);

        "Replaces the specified [[number of characters|length]]
         from the current content, starting at the specified
         [[index]], with the given [[string]]. If [[length]] is
         nonpositive, nothing is replaced, and the `string` is
         simply inserted at the specified `index`."
        since("1.1.0")
        shared native
        StringBuilder replace
                (Integer index, Integer length, String string);

        "Deletes the specified [[number of characters|length]]
         from the current content, starting at the specified
         [[index]]. If [[length]] is nonpositive, nothing is
         deleted."
        shared native
        StringBuilder delete(Integer index, Integer length/*=1*/);

        "Deletes the specified [[number of characters|length]]
         from the start of the string. If `length` is
         nonpositive, nothing is deleted."
        since("1.1.0")
        shared native
        StringBuilder deleteInitial(Integer length);

        "Deletes the specified [[number of characters|length]]
         from the end of the string. If `length` is nonpositive,
         nothing is deleted."
        since("1.1.0")
        shared native
        StringBuilder deleteTerminal(Integer length);

        "Reverses the order of the current characters."
        since("1.1.0")
        shared native
        StringBuilder reverseInPlace();

        "The first index at which the given
         [[list of characters|sublist]] occurs as a sublist,
         that is greater than or equal to the optional
         [[starting index|from]]."
        shared actual native
        Integer? firstInclusion(List<Character> sublist,
            Integer from);

        "The last index at which the given
         [[list of characters|sublist]] occurs as a sublist,
         that falls within the range `0:size-from+1-sublist.size`
         defined by the optional [[starting index|from]],
         interpreted as a reverse index counting from the _end_
         of the list."
        shared actual native
        Integer? lastInclusion(List<Character> sublist,
            Integer from);

        "The first index at which the given [[character]] occurs,
         that is greater than or equal to the optional
         [[starting index|from]]."
        shared actual native
        Integer? firstOccurrence(Character character,
            Integer from, Integer length);

        "The last index at which the given [[character]] occurs,
         that falls within the range `0:size-from` defined by
         the optional [[starting index|from]], interpreted as a
         reverse index counting from the _end_ of the list."
        shared actual native
        Integer? lastOccurrence(Character character,
            Integer from, Integer length);

        shared actual native
        {Integer*} inclusions(List<Character> sublist,
            Integer from);

        shared actual native
        {Integer*} occurrences(Character character,
            Integer from, Integer length);

        shared actual
        Boolean occursAt(Integer index, Character character)
                => if (exists ch = getFromFirst(index))
                    then ch == character else false;

        shared actual
        Boolean includesAt(Integer index, List<Character> sublist)
                => this[index:sublist.size] == sublist;

        shared actual native
        String measure(Integer from, Integer length);

        shared actual
        String initial(Integer length)
                => measure(0, length);

        shared actual
        String terminal(Integer length)
                => measure(size-length, length);

        shared actual native String span(Integer from, Integer to);
        shared actual native String spanTo(Integer to);
        shared actual native String spanFrom(Integer from);

        shared actual native Boolean equals(Object that);
        shared actual native Integer hash;
    }

    shared native("jvm") final class StringBuilder()
            satisfies SearchableList<Character> &
                      Ranged<Integer,Character,String> &
                      IndexedCorrespondenceMutator<Character> {

        import java.lang {
            JStringBuilder=StringBuilder,
            JCharacter=Character {
                toChars,
                charCount
            },
            IndexOutOfBoundsException
        }

        value builder = JStringBuilder();

        shared actual native("jvm") Integer size
                => builder.codePointCount(0, builder.length());

        shared actual native("jvm") Boolean empty
                => builder.length() == 0;

        shared actual native("jvm") Integer? lastIndex
                => if (builder.length() == 0)
                then null
                else builder.length() - 1;

        shared actual native("jvm") String string
                => builder.string;

        native("jvm") assign string
                => builder.replace(0, builder.length(), string);

        shared actual native("jvm")
        Iterator<Character> iterator() {
            object stringBuilderIterator
                    satisfies Iterator<Character> {
                variable Integer offset = 0;
                shared actual Character|Finished next() {
                    if (offset < builder.length()) {
                        Integer codePoint =
                                builder.codePointAt(offset);
                        offset += charCount(codePoint);
                        return codePoint.character;
                    }
                    else {
                        return finished;
                    }
                }
            }
            return stringBuilderIterator;
        }

        shared actual native("jvm")
        Character? getFromFirst(Integer index) {
            try {
                return builder.codePointAt(startIndex(index))
                              .character;
            }
            catch (IndexOutOfBoundsException ioobe) {
                return null;
            }
        }

        shared native("jvm")
        StringBuilder append(String string) {
            builder.append(string);
            return this;
        }

        shared native("jvm")
        StringBuilder prepend(String string) {
            builder.insert(0, string);
            return this;
        }

        shared native("jvm")
        StringBuilder appendCharacter(Character character) {
            builder.appendCodePoint(character.integer);
            return this;
        }

        shared native("jvm")
        StringBuilder prependCharacter(Character character) {
            builder.insert(0, toChars(character.integer));
            return this;
        }

        shared native("jvm")
        StringBuilder clear() {
            builder.setLength(0);
            return this;
        }

        shared native("jvm")
        StringBuilder insert(Integer index, String string) {
            "index must not be negative"
            assert (index>=0);
            "index must not be greater than size"
            assert (index<=size);
            builder.insert(startIndex(index), string);
            return this;
        }

        shared native("jvm")
        StringBuilder insertCharacter
                (Integer index, Character character) {
            "index must not be negative"
            assert (index>=0);
            "index must not be greater than size"
            assert (index<=size);
            builder.insert(startIndex(index),
                toChars(character.integer));
            return this;
        }

        shared native("jvm")
        StringBuilder replace
                (Integer index, Integer length, String string) {
            "index must not be negative"
            assert (index>=0);
            "index must not be greater than size"
            assert (index<=size);
            "index+length must not be greater than size"
            assert (index+length<=size);
            Integer len = length<0 then 0 else length;
            Integer start = startIndex(index);
            Integer end = endIndex(start, len);
            builder.replace(start, end, string);
            return this;
        }

        shared native("jvm")
        StringBuilder delete(Integer index, Integer length) {
            "index must not be negative"
            assert (index>=0);
            "index must not be greater than size"
            assert (index<=size);
            "index+length must not be greater than size"
            assert (index+length<=size);
            if (length>0) {
                Integer start = startIndex(index);
                Integer end = endIndex(start, length);
                builder.delete(start, end);
            }
            return this;
        }

        shared native("jvm")
        StringBuilder deleteInitial(Integer length) {
            "length must not be greater than size"
            assert (length<=size);
            if (length>0) {
                builder.delete(0, startIndex(length));
            }
            return this;
        }

        shared native("jvm")
        StringBuilder deleteTerminal(Integer length) {
            "length must not be greater than size"
            assert (length<=size);
            if (length>0) {
                Integer start = startIndex(size - length);
                builder.delete(start, builder.length());
            }
            return this;
        }

        shared native("jvm")
        StringBuilder reverseInPlace() {
            builder.reverse();
            return this;
        }

        shared actual native("jvm")
        Integer? firstInclusion(List<Character> sublist,
            Integer from) {
            try {
                value start
                        = builder.offsetByCodePoints(0,
                                from>0 then from else 0);
                value index
                        = builder.indexOf(String(sublist),
                                start);
                return index>=0
                    then from
                        + builder.codePointCount(start, index);
            }
            catch (IndexOutOfBoundsException ioe) {
                return null;
            }
        }

        shared actual native("jvm")
        Integer? lastInclusion(List<Character> sublist,
            Integer from) {
            try {
                value start
                        = builder.offsetByCodePoints(
                                builder.length(),
                                (from>0 then -from else 0)
                                    - sublist.size);
                value index
                        = builder.lastIndexOf(String(sublist),
                                start);
                return index>=0
                    then builder.codePointCount(0, index);
            }
            catch (IndexOutOfBoundsException ioe) {
                return null;
            }
        }

        shared actual native("jvm")
        Integer? firstOccurrence(Character character,
            Integer from, Integer length) {
            if (length<=0) { return null; }
            try {
                value start
                        = builder.offsetByCodePoints(0,
                                from>0 then from else 0);
                value index
                        = builder.indexOf(character.string,
                                start);
                if (index>=0) {
                    value count  //TODO: wrong if from<0
                            = builder.codePointCount(start, index);
                    return count < length
                        then from + count
                        else null;
                }
                else {
                    return null;
                }
            }
            catch (IndexOutOfBoundsException ioe) {
                return null;
            }
        }

        shared actual native("jvm")
        Integer? lastOccurrence(Character character,
            Integer from, Integer length) {
            if (length<=0) { return null; }
            try {
                value start
                        = builder.offsetByCodePoints(
                                builder.length(),
                                (from>0 then -from else 0) - 1);
                value index
                        = builder.lastIndexOf(character.string,
                                start);
                if (index>=0) {
                    value count = //TODO: wrong if from<0
                            builder.codePointCount(index, start);
                    return count < length
                        then builder.codePointCount(0, index)
                        else null;
                }
                else {
                    return null;
                }
            }
            catch (IndexOutOfBoundsException ioe) {
                return null;
            }
        }

        shared actual native("jvm")
        {Integer*} inclusions(List<Character> sublist,
            Integer from)
                //TODO: optimize this!
                => string.inclusions(sublist, from);

        shared actual native("jvm")
        {Integer*} occurrences(Character character,
            Integer from, Integer length)
                //TODO: optimize this!
                => string.occurrences(character, from, length);

        shared actual native("jvm")
        String measure(Integer from, Integer length) {
            value len = size;
            if (from >= len || length <= 0) {
                return "";
            }
            value resultLength
                    = if (from + length > len)
                    then len - from
                    else length;
            value start = startIndex(from);
            value end = endIndex(start, resultLength);
            return builder.substring(start, end);
        }

        shared actual native("jvm")
        String span(Integer from, Integer to) {
            value len = size;
            if (len == 0) {
                return "";
            }
            value reverse = to < from;
            Integer _to;
            Integer _from;
            if (reverse) {
                _to = from;
                _from = to;
            }
            else {
                _to = to;
                _from = from;
            }
            if (_to < 0 || _from >= len) {
                return "";
            }
            value begin = _from < 0 then 0 else _from;
            value start = startIndex(begin);
            String result;
            if (_to >= len) {
                result = builder.substring(start);
            }
            else {
                value end = endIndex(start, _to+1 - begin);
                result = builder.substring(start, end);
            }
            return reverse then result.reversed else result;
        }

        shared actual native("jvm")
        String spanFrom(Integer from) {
            if (from <= 0) {
                return string;
            }
            value len = size;
            if (len == 0 || from >= len) {
                return "";
            }
            return builder.substring(startIndex(from));
        }

        shared actual native("jvm")
        String spanTo(Integer to) {
            value len = size;
            if (len == 0 || to < 0) {
                return "";
            }
            if (to >= len) {
                return string;
            }
            return builder.substring(0, startIndex(to+1));
        }

        shared actual native("jvm") Boolean equals(Object that)
                => builder.equals(that);

        shared actual native("jvm") Integer hash
                => builder.hash;

        Integer startIndex(Integer index)
                => builder.offsetByCodePoints(0, index);

        Integer endIndex(Integer start, Integer length)
                => builder.offsetByCodePoints(start, length);

    }

    shared native("js") final class StringBuilder()
            satisfies SearchableList<Character> &
                      Ranged<Integer,Character,String> &
                      IndexedCorrespondenceMutator<Character> {

        shared actual native("js") variable String string = "";

        shared actual native("js") Integer size => string.size;

        shared actual native("js") Boolean empty => string.empty;

        shared actual native("js") Integer? lastIndex
                => if (string.size == 0)
                then null
                else string.size - 1;

        shared actual native("js")
        Iterator<Character> iterator()
                => string.iterator();

        shared actual native("js")
        String measure(Integer from, Integer length)
                => string[from:length];

        shared actual native("js")
        String span(Integer from, Integer to) => string[from:to];

        shared actual native("js")
        String spanTo(Integer to) => string[...to];

        shared actual native("js")
        String spanFrom(Integer from) => string[from...];

        shared actual native("js")
        Character? getFromFirst(Integer index)
                => string.getFromFirst(index);

        shared native("js")
        StringBuilder append(String string) {
            this.string = this.string + string;
            return this;
        }

        shared native("js")
        StringBuilder prepend(String string) {
            this.string = string + this.string;
            return this;
        }

        shared native("js")
        StringBuilder appendCharacter(Character character) {
            string = string + character.string;
            return this;
        }

        shared native("js")
        StringBuilder prependCharacter(Character character) {
            string = character.string + string;
            return this;
        }

        shared native("js")
        StringBuilder clear() {
            string = "";
            return this;
        }

        shared native("js")
        StringBuilder insert(Integer index, String string) {
            "index must not be negative"
            assert (index>=0);
            "index must not be greater than size"
            assert (index<=size);
            this.string
                    = this.string[0:index]
                    + string
                    + this.string[index...];
            return this;
        }

        shared native("js")
        StringBuilder insertCharacter
                (Integer index, Character character)
                => insert(index, character.string);

        shared native("js")
        StringBuilder replace
                (Integer index, Integer length, String string) {
            "index must not be negative"
            assert (index>=0);
            "index must not be greater than size"
            assert (index<=size);
            "index+length must not be greater than size"
            assert (index+length<=size);
            value len = length<0 then 0 else length;
            this.string
                    = this.string[0:index]
                    + string +
                    this.string[index+len...];
            return this;
        }

        shared native("js")
        StringBuilder delete(Integer index, Integer length) {
            "index must not be negative"
            assert (index>=0);
            "index must not be greater than size"
            assert (index<=size);
            "index+length must not be greater than size"
            assert (index+length<=size);
            if (length>0) {
                string = string[0:index]
                       + string[index+length...];
            }
            return this;
        }

        shared native("js")
        StringBuilder deleteInitial(Integer length) {
            "length must not be greater than size"
            assert (length<=size);
            if (length>0) {
                string = string[length...];
            }
            return this;
        }

        shared native("js")
        StringBuilder deleteTerminal(Integer length) {
            "length must not be greater than size"
            assert (length<=size);
            if (length>0) {
                string = string[0:size-length];
            }
            return this;
        }

        shared native("js")
        StringBuilder reverseInPlace() {
            string = string.reversed;
            return this;
        }

        shared actual native("js")
        Integer? firstInclusion(List<Character> sublist,
            Integer from)
                => string.firstInclusion(sublist, from);

        shared actual native("js")
        Integer? lastInclusion(List<Character> sublist,
            Integer from)
                => string.lastInclusion(sublist, from);

        shared actual native("js")
        Integer? firstOccurrence(Character character,
            Integer from, Integer length)
                => string.firstOccurrence(character, from, length);

        shared actual native("js")
        Integer? lastOccurrence(Character character,
            Integer from, Integer length)
                => string.lastOccurrence(character, from, length);

        shared actual native("js")
        {Integer*} inclusions(List<Character> sublist,
            Integer from)
                => string.inclusions(sublist, from);

        shared actual native("js")
        {Integer*} occurrences(Character character,
            Integer from, Integer length)
                => string.occurrences(character, from, length);

        shared actual native("js") Boolean equals(Object that)
                => string.equals(that);

        shared actual native("js") Integer hash => string.hash;
    }