Re: Different string format options, benefits?

Sean C. Cox <coxs2@rpi.edu> writes:
>[Tradeoffs of <size,bytes> vs <bytes,null> representation?]


For arbitrary-length strings, you need an address-sized length field (2
or 4 bytes). For null termination, you need only a single (null) byte.
Note alignment considerations.


For strcpy/strcmp operations you can use the value being read to detect
termination, rather than keeping both a count and a current character.
Despite that, strcmp and strcpy may be more efficient using a count.


Some systems have inter-language compatablity by keeping both a length
(in the byte or bytes preceding the initial address) and a null char
just after the last string character.


;-D on ( All string out ) Pardo
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