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Are String Literals in C `const char *` or `const char`?

Linda Hamilton

Oct 28, 2024 am 07:26 AM

Are String Literals in C `const char *` or `const char`?

Unveiling the Enigmatic: The True Nature of String Literals in C

The nature of string literals has sparked confusion among developers, raising the question of whether they are characterized as const char * or const char. To unravel this mystery, let us embark on an in-depth analysis.

Far from being mere character pointers or individual characters, string literals in C are of a unique type denoted as const char[N], where N represents the length of the string augmented by one to accommodate the terminating NUL character. This designation is akin to char const[N], thereby illuminating their constant nature.

The significance of this distinction becomes apparent when considering the operation sizeof("hello") - 1, which yields the number of characters in the string, including any embedded NULs. If string literals were pointers, this calculation would fail, as they would consistently occupy the size of a pointer on the system.

Therefore, string literals in C possess a distinct type of const char[N], endowing them with the capacity to store characters in an array and leverage the convenience of the terminating NUL character. This nuanced understanding of their underlying nature empowers developers to harness their potential effectively.

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