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digitalmars.D.bugs - [Issue 2086] New: Describe relationship between string and char[] more explicitly

reply d-bugmail puremagic.com writes:
http://d.puremagic.com/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=2086

           Summary: Describe relationship between string and char[] more
                    explicitly
           Product: D
           Version: 2.012
          Platform: PC
               URL: http://digitalmars.com/d/2.0/arrays.html
        OS/Version: Linux
            Status: NEW
          Severity: normal
          Priority: P3
         Component: www.digitalmars.com
        AssignedTo: bugzilla digitalmars.com
        ReportedBy: jlquinn optonline.net


This is in response to bug 2082 (and 2083, filed by accident, sorry).  Since
transparent assigning between string and char won't work, it would be good to
update the docs to be clear about this.

First, there should be language on this page saying that the string type is
invariant(char[]).  Next, it would be good to give examples of going between
the two, since this is going to happen relatively often in string handling code
if people use the string type.  Some suggestions (adding on to what's there):

char[] str1 = "abc";             // error, "abc" is not mutable
char[] str2 = "abc".dup;         // ok, make mutable copy
invariant(char)[] str3 = "abc";  // ok
string s1 = "abc";               // ok
string s2 = str1;                // error, s2 is not mutable
string s3 = str1.idup;           // ok, make invariant copy

Another suggestion I'd like to see is to have strings at least mentioned on the
types page.  Even though they are really arrays, I suspect newcomers (speaking
from experience) will look to the types page first to find strings.  If there
was a mention of strings with a link to the appropriate spot on the arrays
page, I think it would ease the transition period for new developers.

One other related thought - this page might not be the right place for it, but
it might be nice to have an analogy drawn to Java.  D string is similar to Java
String and D char[] is somewhat similar to Java StringBuffer in terms of how
they might be used.


-- 
May 09 2008
parent d-bugmail puremagic.com writes:
http://d.puremagic.com/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=2086


bugzilla digitalmars.com changed:

           What    |Removed                     |Added
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Status|NEW                         |RESOLVED
         Resolution|                            |FIXED





Fixed dmd 1.030 and 2.014


-- 
May 22 2008