jem::CString Class Reference

Converts a String object to a null-terminated character array. More...

#include <jem/base/CString.h>

Public Member Functions
	CString ()
	Creates an empty CString object. More...
	CString (const String &str)
	Creates a CString from a String object. More...
	CString (const CString &rhs)
	Copy constructor. More...
	~CString ()
	Deallocates resources. More...
CString &	operator= (const CString &rhs)
	Copies another CString object. More...
	operator const char * () const
	Conversion operator. More...
const char *	addr () const
	Returns the character array encapsulated by this object. More...

Related Functions
(Note that these are not member functions.)
CString	makeCString (const String &str)
	Converts a String object to a CString object. More...

Detailed Description

The CString class helps you convert String objects to null-terminated character arrays that can be passed to standard C/C++ functions. CString objects are normally created by calling the non-member function makeCString(). Here is a typical example:

String s ( "Hello World" );

::fputs ( ::stdout, makeCString(s) );

A CString object is basically a simple wrapper around a dynamically allocated null-terminated character array. Although multiple CString objects may point to the same array, only one of these objects is the owner of the array. When the owner is destroyed it will deallocate the character array. All other CString objects pointing to the same character array then become invalid and should no longer be used.

See also

String, makeCString()

Constructor & Destructor Documentation

jem::CString::CString

(

)

Creates an empty CString object that points to the empty character array "". This object is not the owner of its character array.

Postcondition

this->addr()[0] == '\0'

jem::CString::CString ( const String &  str )

explicit

Creates a CString object that points to a null-terminated character array containing the same characters as the String object str. This CString object is the owner of its character array.

Parameters

str	- a String object.

Postcondition

str == this->addr()

jem::CString::CString

(

const CString &

rhs

)

Creates a shallow copy of the CString rhs. The newly created object points to the same character array as the rhs object. Ownership of the character array is passed from the rhs object to the newly created object.

Parameters

rhs	- a CString object.

Postcondition

this->addr() == rhs.addr()

jem::CString::~CString

(

)

If this object is the owner of its character array, it will delete the character array. All other CString objects pointing to the same character array then become invalid.

Member Function Documentation

CString& jem::CString::operator=

(

const CString &

rhs

)

Copies the character array pointed to by the rhs object to this object. Ownership of the character array is passed from the rhs object to this object.

If this object is the owner of its current character array, it will delete that array.

Parameters

rhs	- the CString object to be copied.

Returns

*this

Postcondition

this->addr() == rhs.addr()

jem::CString::operator const char *

(

)

const

This conversion operator returns a pointer to the null-terminated character array encapsulated by this CString object. The pointer is valid as long as the character array is not deallocated.

Returns

this->addr()

const char* jem::CString::addr

(

)

const

Returns a pointer to the null-terminated character array encapsulated by this CString object. The pointer is valid as long as the array is not deallocated.

Returns

A pointer to the character array encapsulated by this object.

Friends And Related Function Documentation

CString makeCString ( const String &  str )

related

Converts a the String object str to a CString object.

Parameters

str	- the String to be converted.

Returns

CString( str )