RE: [boost] Re: static sized strings

From: Reece Dunn (msclrhd_at_[hidden])
Date: 2004-05-10 14:10:20

John Nagle wrote:
>   There are fundamental issues with string size that have to be
>resolved.
>
>   STL strings are variable-sized, with no limit.  When you
>add characters, "size()" increases.  Should fixed-size
>strings be similar?  If the STL string operations are
>to be meaningful, they have to be.

The way I see it, size() relates to the current size of the string, and 
capacity() relates to the current storage size, thus you have: --

null-terminated, fixed size (char_string< n > s)
   size() = strlen( s.c_str()); capacity() = n;
   string manipulations guaranteed such that size() < capacity() in order to 
cope with null character
   null character is always added

fixed size (fixed_string< n > s)
   size() = capacity() = n;

>   In STL strings, "size" doesn't include a trailing null.
>Using "c_str" can result in expanding the string to add a
>trailing null.  With fixed-size strings, we don't have that
>option.

size() will not include the trailing null; c_str() will return the character 
buffer; null character is added by the string operations, thus there is no 
need to add it on the c_str() operation.

>   If c_str is provided, there must always be space
>for a trailing null.  So you can't use char_string
>when you need a specific fixed length, as for Macintosh
>4-character file signatures.  Perhaps "boost::array<char>"
>is the way to go for that sort of thing.  Trying to do
>both null-terminated and non-null-terminated strings
>in the same class will get ugly.

I don't think it will be that ugly. In a previous post that contained the 
updated char_string class, I had an implementation of it as a boolean 
template parameter (null-terminate).

>   Top priority, I think, is a size policy.

Do you mean how to handle size() and capacity()? If so, see above.

>   Is Dunn's version in the Boost sandbox?  Where?

I have not yet added it to the sandbox, but will in the next few days.

Regards,
Reece

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