Consider
#include <string>
#include <iostream>
int main()
{
/*
hello
5
hel
3
*/
char a[] = "hello";
std::cout << a << std::endl;
std::cout << strlen(a) << std::endl;
a[3] = 0;
std::cout << a << std::endl;
std::cout << strlen(a) << std::endl;
/*
hello
5
hel o
5
*/
std::string b = "hello";
std::cout << b << std::endl;
std::cout << b.length() << std::endl;
b[3] = 0;
std::cout << b << std::endl;
std::cout << b.length() << std::endl;
getchar();
}
I expect std::string
will behave identical to char
array a. That's it, insert null character in the middle of the string, will "terminate" the string. However, it is not the case. Is my expectation wrong?
A std::string
is not like a usual C string, and can contain embedded NUL characters without problems. However, if you do this you will notice the string is prematurely terminated if you use the .c_str()
function to return a const char *
.
No - std::string
s are not NUL-terminated like C "strings"; the std::string records its length independently.
@Lou is right: don't do that. Instead, do this:
b.erase (3, b.length());
Yes, your expectation is wrong. std::string
is meant to be different from C strings (e.g. not necessarily stored in consecutive memory / an array).
To duplicate the first section's behavior, try std::cout << b.c_str()
instead of std::cout << b
.
I expect std::string will behave identical to char array a.
Why? Nothing in the documentation, anywhere, having to do with std::string says it does this.
My suggestion, stop treating like C++ as C plus some stuff.