about.md- allocator.h.md
- array_list.h.md
- buffer.h.md
- collection.h.md
- collections.md
- compare.h.md
- features.md
- hash_key.h.md
- hash_map.h.md
- install.md
- iterator.h.md
- json.h.md
- kv_list.h.md
- license.md
- linked_list.h.md
- list.h.md
- map.h.md
- memory.md
- mempool.h.md
- parsers.md
- printf.h.md
- properties.h.md
- streams.h.md
- string.h.md
- strings.md
- test.h.md
- tree.h.md
- utils.md
1 # Strings and Buffers
2
3 For an improved experience when working with strings,
4 UCX provides an API to work with structures that store a [string](string.h.md) together with its length,
5 as well as a more sophisticated [buffer](buffer.h.md) API for working with text of dynamic or unknown length.
6
7 Additionally, UCX offers several advanced [printf-like functions](printf.h.md) that also allow convenient work
8 with strings of unknown length.
9 For example, one the more advanced functions is `cx_sprintf_sa()` which lets you format a string into an existing
10 pre-allocated buffer (e.g. on the stack) and automatically switches to a fresh buffer allocated by a custom allocator
11 when the existing buffer is not large enough.
12
13 The string API is designed to work with _both_ mutable and constant strings.
14 The possibility to work with constant strings is especially important when you want to work with string literals
15 without copying them into a separate memory region - e.g., when you want to get a substring.
16
17 By default, UCX assumes strings are constant and stores them in a structure of type `cxstring`.
18 Mutable strings are stored in a separate structure called `cxmutstr`.
19 You can conveniently convert any UCX string to a `cxstring` by using `cx_strcast()`.
20 Several macros throughout UCX already do that for you.
21 Since this function is usually inlined, this comes with no additional cost when compiled with optimizations enabled.
22
23
24