.. SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2024 The IceTray Contributors
..
.. SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-2-Clause

.. highlight:: cpp

Use std::vector and std::string instead of arrays
-------------------------------------------------

Don't use C-style ``const char *``'s, arrays, ``strcmp``, ``strcpy``, or
``strncmp``.  C-style arrays (``float[3]``) can be used if their size
is known at compile time.  Use STL strings instead::

 string s1, s2;

 s1 == s2;         // equality comparison
 if (s1 < s2) { }  // dictionary comparison
 s1 = s2;          // assignment
 s1 = "heeheehee";
 s1 += s2;         // concatenation

 cout << "length of s1 is " << s1.length();

Reasoning
"""""""""

Buffer overruns and related security flaws are a serious problem with
C-style code, specifically arrays, pointer arithmetic, and memory
management. Avoid this completely by using higher level C++ facilities.

Reasons to prefer C++ ``std::vector`` and ``std::string``:

* They manage their own memory automatically
* They have a rich interface, making complex functionality easy
* They are compatible with the C memory model
* They offer extended checking
* They are already highly optimized for most situations

Reference
"""""""""

There's a decent reference on strings, vectors, and other STL items at
https://www.cppreference.com/cppstring/.