API Reference — `arrayview/StringView`

`Base`

Type alias for ConstArrayView<char>, declared inside StringView to name the immediate base class.

Why this exists

Base is a using declaration that gives the StringView implementation a stable, readable name for its parent type. It allows StringView to inherit ArrayView constructors via using Base::ArrayView without repeating the full template instantiation. This is a class-internal alias and is not part of the public API surface — external code should use ConstArrayView<char> or StringView directly.

Relationships

ConstArrayView<char> — the aliased type; Base is exactly this type
StringView — the class that declares this alias

`class StringView : public ConstArrayView<char>`

Access a read-only character buffer as a null-safe C string. Use this when bridging ConstArrayView<char> data to APIs that expect const char*.

When to use this

Use StringView when you hold a ConstArrayView<char> and need to pass it to a C API or any function that expects a raw const char*. It guarantees a non-null pointer even when the underlying buffer is null — you never have to add a nullptr guard at the call site. Use ConstArrayView<char> directly when you do not need C-string compatibility.

Example

// Given a StringView from a DNA reader:
StringView name = reader.getName();   // wraps a ConstArrayView<char>

// All three accessors are equivalent — prefer c_str() for clarity:
const char* s1 = name.c_str();        // returns "" if buffer is null
const char* s2 = name;                // implicit conversion
const char* s3 = *name;               // dereference operator

// Safe to pass directly to C APIs:
printf("%s\n", name.c_str());

Returns

const char* — pointer to the character data, or "" (a valid empty C string) when the underlying buffer is null. The pointer is owned by the source buffer; do not free it.

Watch out for

All three accessors (c_str(), operator const char*(), operator*()) are identical — they all delegate to dataOrEmpty(). There is no semantic difference; use c_str() for readability.
When the underlying ConstArrayView<char> was constructed with a null pointer, StringView silently returns a pointer to a static empty string (""). Callers that need to distinguish "no value" from "empty string" must check data() == nullptr on the underlying view before accessing through StringView.

API Reference — arrayview/StringView

Base