C Strings: `std::string` or `char` Arrays – Which Should You Choose?

Defining Strings in C and C

While C relies on char arrays for string representation, C offers both std::string and char arrays. This article delves into the key differences between these two approaches, exploring their impact on performance, API integration, and overall advantages and disadvantages.

char Arrays in C and C

In both C and C , char arrays store sequences of characters in contiguous memory locations. The char array size is determined at compile time, and once allocated, the size cannot be changed. This has certain limitations:

• Fixed Size: Regardless of the actual string length, the array occupies the same amount of memory (as in the example with 256 bytes).
• Heap Allocation: If the array is allocated on the heap, it introduces memory overhead and requires explicit memory release.
• String Length: Determining the string length requires iterating through the array until a null-terminator character (

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