Question: I have a string (for example: `"Hello there. My name is John. I work very hard. Hello there!"`) and I am trying to find the number of occurrences of the string `"hello there"`. So far, this is the code I have:

```vb.net
Dim input as String = "Hello there. My name is John. I work very hard. Hello there!"
Dim phrase as String = "hello there"
Dim Occurrences As Integer = 0

If input.toLower.Contains(phrase) = True Then
    Occurrences = input.Split(phrase).Length      
    'REM: Do stuff
End If

```

Unfortunately, what this line of code seems to do is split the string every time it sees the first letter of `phrase`, in this case, `h`. So instead of the result `Occurrences = 2` that I would hope for, I actually get a much larger number. I know that counting the number of splits in a string is a horrible way to go about doing this, even if I did get the correct answer, so could someone please help me out and provide some assistance?

Answer: 
Yet another idea:

```
Dim input As String = "Hello there. My name is John. I work very hard. Hello there!"
Dim phrase As String = "Hello there"
Dim Occurrences As Integer = (input.Length - input.Replace(phrase, String.Empty).Length) / phrase.Length

```

You just need to make sure that `phrase.Length > 0`.
You could create a recursive function using IndexOf. Passing the string to be searched and the string to locate, each recursion increments a Counter and sets the StartIndex to +1 the last found index, until the search string is no longer found. Function will require optional parameters Starting Position and Counter passed by reference:

```
Function InStrCount(ByVal SourceString As String, _
                    ByVal SearchString As String, _
                    Optional ByRef StartPos As Integer = 0, _
                    Optional ByRef Count As Integer = 0) As Integer
    If SourceString.IndexOf(SearchString, StartPos) > -1 Then
        Count += 1
        InStrCount(SourceString, _
                   SearchString, _
                   SourceString.IndexOf(SearchString, StartPos) + 1, _
                   Count)
    End If
    Return Count
End Function

```

Call function by passing string to search and string to locate and, optionally, start position:

```
Dim input As String = "Hello there. My name is John. I work very hard. Hello there!"
Dim phrase As String = "hello there"
Dim Occurrences As Integer

Occurrances = InStrCount(input.ToLower, phrase.ToLower)

```

Note the use of .ToLower, which is used to ignore case in your comparison. Do not include this directive if you do wish comparison to be case specific.