What string_view Means for C

Introduced as part of C 17, string_view aims to revolutionize string handling in C . As a "concept" representing a string view, it offers several key advantages and potential enhancements to existing C practices.

String_view Features and Considerations

• References Existing Data: String_view serves as a view into an existing string container, avoiding the need for unnecessary data copying.
• Efficient Substringing: Substring operations are performed by adjusting pointers and sizes, eliminating the time and overhead associated with copying.
• Enhanced Efficiency: By avoiding unnecessary allocations and copies, string_view improves performance in scenarios where strings are passed around by value.
• Different Ownership Semantics: Unlike other standard library components, string_view introduces conditional correctness. Its behavior relies on the correct usage of the ambient code.
• Out-of-Scope Behavior: If string_view is created from a std::string, its behavior becomes undefined once the std::string goes out of scope.

Potential Updates

In addition to the current benefits, string_view may also lead to the replacement of the canonical const std::string& parameter type, further reducing unnecessary copying. However, its adoption as the new parameter type is still under consideration.