[openbeos] Re: BString
- From: "Daniel Reinhold" <danielr@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: openbeos@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2001 02:54:42 CST
>>Just quickie, I am writing a version of BString, just to cut my
teeth,
>>any objections/suggestions?
>> Keith
>
>Sorry I have not posted back earlier. I believe that BStrings as it
presently exists in BeOS is broken. The reason, it treats it's strings
like 'C' strings in some cases using a zero byte to make the end of the
string and at other times using the Length() function to tell it the
string length to control string functions.
>
>I believe that BStrings should always use the Length() function and
thus allow bytes containing zeros(0) to exist inside a string.
>
>Also note: If you read the BeBook BString section that there is no
mention that BStrings are zero terminated, only that the String()
function will return a zero terminated string.
>
> Earl Colby Pottinger
>
>PS. I am working a small test program to show what I mean, I will
post the code as soon as possible.
The internal representation of the characters in a BString should not
make any difference. Keith should pick whatever implementation works
the best. Users of the class should make no assumption about how the
data is stored -- if they do, they deserve whatever trouble they get,
haha!
So yes, users should only rely on calling Length() and not on finding a
terminating null. However, I would recommend *not allowing* zero bytes
in BStrings. It would work technically, but from a design standpoint,
it would confuse people. Making it clear that BString is only meant for
textual strings and not binary data is in keeping with BString's API
(for example, the buffer returned by String() is guaranteed to be null-
terminated).
If the need for a binary string class becomes necessary, we could write
BBinaryString (or something to that effect) to handle that -- altho I
think that good ole char * would be simpler.
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