source: vbox/trunk/src/libs/xpcom18a4/xpcom/string/public/nsTPromiseFlatString.h@ 48392

/* -*- Mode: C++; tab-width: 2; indent-tabs-mode: nil; c-basic-offset: 2 -*- */
/* vim:set ts=2 sw=2 sts=2 et cindent: */
/* ***** BEGIN LICENSE BLOCK *****
 * Version: MPL 1.1/GPL 2.0/LGPL 2.1
 *
 * The contents of this file are subject to the Mozilla Public License Version
 * 1.1 (the "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance with
 * the License. You may obtain a copy of the License at
 * http://www.mozilla.org/MPL/
 *
 * Software distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" basis,
 * WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the License
 * for the specific language governing rights and limitations under the
 * License.
 *
 * The Original Code is Mozilla.
 *
 * The Initial Developer of the Original Code is IBM Corporation.
 * Portions created by IBM Corporation are Copyright (C) 2003
 * IBM Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
 *
 * Contributor(s):
 *   Scott Collins <scc@mozilla.org> (original author)
 *   Darin Fisher <darin@meer.net>
 *
 * Alternatively, the contents of this file may be used under the terms of
 * either the GNU General Public License Version 2 or later (the "GPL"), or
 * the GNU Lesser General Public License Version 2.1 or later (the "LGPL"),
 * in which case the provisions of the GPL or the LGPL are applicable instead
 * of those above. If you wish to allow use of your version of this file only
 * under the terms of either the GPL or the LGPL, and not to allow others to
 * use your version of this file under the terms of the MPL, indicate your
 * decision by deleting the provisions above and replace them with the notice
 * and other provisions required by the GPL or the LGPL. If you do not delete
 * the provisions above, a recipient may use your version of this file under
 * the terms of any one of the MPL, the GPL or the LGPL.
 *
 * ***** END LICENSE BLOCK ***** */


  /**
   * NOTE:
   *
   * Try to avoid flat strings.  |PromiseFlat[C]String| will help you as a last
   * resort, and this may be necessary when dealing with legacy or OS calls,
   * but in general, requiring a null-terminated array of characters kills many
   * of the performance wins the string classes offer.  Write your own code to
   * use |nsA[C]String&|s for parameters.  Write your string proccessing
   * algorithms to exploit iterators.  If you do this, you will benefit from
   * being able to chain operations without copying or allocating and your code
   * will be significantly more efficient.  Remember, a function that takes an
   * |const nsA[C]String&| can always be passed a raw character pointer by
   * wrapping it (for free) in a |nsDependent[C]String|.  But a function that
   * takes a character pointer always has the potential to force allocation and
   * copying.
   *
   *
   * How to use it:
   *
   * A |nsPromiseFlat[C]String| doesn't necessarily own the characters it
   * promises.  You must never use it to promise characters out of a string
   * with a shorter lifespan.  The typical use will be something like this:
   *
   *   SomeOSFunction( PromiseFlatCString(aCString).get() ); // GOOD
   *
   * Here's a BAD use:
   *
   *  const char* buffer = PromiseFlatCString(aCString).get();
   *  SomeOSFunction(buffer); // BAD!! |buffer| is a dangling pointer
   *
   * The only way to make one is with the function |PromiseFlat[C]String|,
   * which produce a |const| instance.  ``What if I need to keep a promise
   * around for a little while?'' you might ask.  In that case, you can keep a
   * reference, like so
   *
   *   const nsPromiseFlatString& flat = PromiseFlatString(aString);
   *     // this reference holds the anonymous temporary alive, but remember,
   *     // it must _still_ have a lifetime shorter than that of |aString|
   *
   *  SomeOSFunction(flat.get());
   *  SomeOtherOSFunction(flat.get());
   *
   *
   * How does it work?
   *
   * A |nsPromiseFlat[C]String| is just a wrapper for another string.  If you
   * apply it to a string that happens to be flat, your promise is just a
   * dependent reference to the string's data.  If you apply it to a non-flat
   * string, then a temporary flat string is created for you, by allocating and
   * copying.  In the event that you end up assigning the result into a sharing
   * string (e.g., |nsTString|), the right thing happens.
   */

class nsTPromiseFlatString_CharT : public nsTString_CharT
  {
    public:

      typedef nsTPromiseFlatString_CharT    self_type;

    private:

      NS_COM void Init( const substring_type& );
      NS_COM void Init( const abstract_string_type& );

        // NOT TO BE IMPLEMENTED
      void operator=( const self_type& );

        // NOT TO BE IMPLEMENTED
      nsTPromiseFlatString_CharT();

    public:

      explicit
      nsTPromiseFlatString_CharT( const substring_type& str )
        : string_type()
        {
          Init(str);
        }

      explicit
      nsTPromiseFlatString_CharT( const abstract_string_type& readable )
        : string_type()
        {
          Init(readable);
        }

      explicit
      nsTPromiseFlatString_CharT( const substring_tuple_type& tuple )
        : string_type()
        {
          // nothing else to do here except assign the value of the tuple
          // into ourselves.
          Assign(tuple);
        }
  };

inline
const nsTPromiseFlatString_CharT
TPromiseFlatString_CharT( const nsTAString_CharT& str )
  {
    return nsTPromiseFlatString_CharT(str);
  }

  // e.g., PromiseFlatCString(Substring(s))
inline
const nsTPromiseFlatString_CharT
TPromiseFlatString_CharT( const nsTSubstring_CharT& frag )
  {
    return nsTPromiseFlatString_CharT(frag);
  }

  // e.g., PromiseFlatCString(a + b)
inline
const nsTPromiseFlatString_CharT
TPromiseFlatString_CharT( const nsTSubstringTuple_CharT& tuple )
  {
    return nsTPromiseFlatString_CharT(tuple);
  }