2 files changed, 33 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/src/gleam/string.gleam b/src/gleam/string.gleam
index fc3071f..ac7d3aa 100644
--- a/src/gleam/string.gleam
+++ b/src/gleam/string.gleam
@@ -739,3 +739,26 @@ pub fn to_option(s: String) -> Option(String) {
     _ -> Some(s)
   }
 }
+
+/// Returns the first element in a grapheme and wraps it in an `Option(String)`.
+/// If the `String` is empty, it returns `None`. Otherwise, it returns
+/// `Some(String)`.
+///
+/// ## Examples
+///
+/// ```gleam
+/// > first("")
+/// None
+/// ```
+///
+/// ```gleam
+/// > first("icecream")
+/// Some("i")
+/// ```
+///
+pub fn first(s: String) -> Option(String) {
+  case length(s) {
+    0 -> None
+    _ -> Some(slice(s, 0, 1))
+  }
+}
diff --git a/test/gleam/string_test.gleam b/test/gleam/string_test.gleam
index 937df50..a98a2e2 100644
--- a/test/gleam/string_test.gleam
+++ b/test/gleam/string_test.gleam
@@ -364,3 +364,13 @@ pub fn to_option_test() {
   |> string.to_option
   |> should.equal(Some("ok"))
 }
+
+pub fn first_test() {
+  ""
+  |> string.first
+  |> should.equal(None)
+
+  "gleam"
+  |> string.first
+  |> should.equal(Some("g"))
+}