Rethinking Strings

Explore the evolution and future of string design in C++ through this comprehensive conference talk from C++Now 2017. Delve into the shortcomings of std::string and examine the changing context of string usage in modern programming. Analyze strings along various dimensions, including storage duration, encoding, and mutability. Learn about recent developments such as UTF encoding standards, 64-bit addressing, constexpr, ranges, reflection, string_view, small string optimization, and FixedString. Discover how these advancements, along with proposals like std::text_view, impact string design. Engage in a thought-provoking discussion on creating a cohesive, modern set of library and language features for strings in C++. Gain insights from Mark Zeren, a staff engineer at VMware, as he shares his expertise on C++ libraries, coding standards, and toolchains.

Intro
Copyonwrite strings
Small string optimization
Saving sharing
StringView
String View
Layout
Why now
Strings
Code Convert
Notes
Strings Everywhere
String Context
Constants
Values
Locality
Mutable Cow Disease
Sharing and immutability
String instance size
String unset optional
String malleability
Encoding
Data
Encodings
My perspective
Ownership
Void Star