[boost] Re: static sized strings - new version

From: John Nagle (nagle_at_[hidden])
Date: 2004-05-23 13:52:47

  I've done a major rewrite on this.  See

        http://www.animats.com/source

                boost_fixed_string.hpp	- fixed strings
                boost_fixed_string_cstring.hpp - sprintf, etc.
                boost_fixed_string_test.cpp - a test program
              
This does much the same thing as Dunn's fixed_string, but
with a somewhat simpler structure.  

   The main template class is "fixed_string<TYPE,LEN>", which
is generic and does all the work.

   This is derived from the abstract class "fixed_string_base<TYPE>",
which is used when you need a reference or pointer to a fixed
string of unknown length.  It doesn't do anything but redirect
virtual functions. 

   Then we define, very simply,

        "char_string<LEN>"	"char_string_base"
        "wchar_string<LEN>"	"wchar_string_base"

These are just instantiations of fixed_string, but they also
define functions that need type-based handling.  So far, this
is only "vsnprintf".  

There are no conditionals, other than the usual workaround for an
MSVC problem.

fixed_string has a length.  Length is lazy-evaluated; some
operations make the length -1, which forces a recount of the
string when next the length is needed.  

The C-type operations and subscripting are all checked for
length.  Iterators are supported, but, consistent with std::string
semantics, they are unsafe.

Comments?

                                John Nagle
                                Animats