Func vs string

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.NET3.5

C#

.NET

Hi folks,

lets assume I have the following code workflow:

string s = "SOME_LONG_AND_NASTY_STRING_PROBABLY_A_BASE64_STRING";
WriteToDB(s);

public void WriteToDB(string str){
    InsertInDB(str);
}

public void InsertInDB(string str)
{
    //Do writing here using str
}

Since the string is a value type immutable each method call with it as parameter leads to a copy of that string in the memory. Even if WriteToDB justs routes the string to InsertInDB a copy is created. To minimize this bad effect I can wrap it in some data container and pass the container around. The container is of course a reference type.

What if I wrap the string in a Func<string> delegate (see below)?

string s = "SOME_LONG_AND_NASTY_STRING_PROBABLY_A_BASE64_STRING";
WriteToDB(()=>s);

public void WriteToDB(Func<string> f_str){
    InsertInDB(f_str);
}

public void InsertInDB(Func<string> f_str)
{
    //Do writing here using f_str()
}

Is it true that the string is wrapped inside the Func-object and therefore passed as a reference type just like if i put it in a data container?

Id like to prevent myself to write a data container just to hold the string. Is there a better way to have a string passed as a parameter but without having it copied all the time? I know the ref keyword, but that seems to be wrong either in this case.

Thanks for your suggestions.

Jens