STRLENstr

STRLENstr is a conceptual string representation that pairs character data with an explicit length value, enabling constant-time access to a string’s length and safer boundary handling than traditional null-terminated strings. It emerged from performance and safety concerns in low-level programming environments where repeated traversal to determine length could be costly.

In typical designs, STRLENstr comprises a pointer to a character buffer and a separate length field, often accompanied by an optional capacity. Strings can be immutable or mutable, with mutation operations updating the length accordingly. Some implementations introduce ownership or reference semantics to manage memory and avoid unnecessary copies, while others treat STRLENstr as a lightweight view into existing memory.

Common operations include creation from a C string or literal, retrieval of length by inspecting the length field, and manipulation such as concatenation and slicing that adjust the length. Comparisons usually consider both length and content. Memory management strategies vary, including reference counting, custom allocators, or unique ownership models. Interoperation with legacy C APIs typically requires conversion to standard null-terminated strings when needed.

The primary advantages of STRLENstr are constant-time length queries and improved safety for range checks and substring operations, reducing the risk of buffer overruns. Trade-offs include additional memory for the length metadata and potential complexity in maintaining length consistency during mutations. Converting between STRLENstr representations and traditional C strings can incur overhead and interoperability challenges.

STRLENstr is used in contexts where performance and explicit length knowledge are beneficial, such as systems libraries, database engines, or language runtimes. It is not a standardized feature across mainstream languages, but the concept resembles length-prefixed strings, string views, or slices found in various programming ecosystems.