If you're willing to accept a call to "new", you can just use std::string and reserve some initial size. So you don't need that capabiilty in char_string. char_string is for situations when you don't want to invoke dynamic allocation at all. In desktop applications, that's not too common, but in real time work, inside operating systems, and in embedded applications it's not unusual. char_string is also useful for retrofitting old code to protect it against buffer overflows. John Nagle Team Overbot David Abrahams wrote:
"Reece Dunn" <msclrhd@hotmail.com> writes:
I presume you're referring to fixed-capacity strings which can have a variable size, right?
yup. The idea is to make it a buffer-overflow safe replacement for C style character buffers, e.g.:
char buf[ 100 ]; ::sprintf( buf, "...", ... );
while allowing it to behave like a basic_string.
Why not make an unlimited-size string with a parameterized internal "small string optimization" buffer?