7. String clause minor problems

Section: 27 [strings] Status: TC1 Submitter: Matt Austern Opened: 1997-12-15 Last modified: 2016-11-12

Priority: Not Prioritized

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View all issues with TC1 status.

Discussion:

(1) In 27.4.3.7.4 [string.insert], the description of template <class InputIterator> insert(iterator, InputIterator, InputIterator) makes no sense. It refers to a member function that doesn't exist. It also talks about the return value of a void function.

(2) Several versions of basic_string::replace don't appear in the class synopsis.

(3) basic_string::push_back appears in the synopsis, but is never described elsewhere. In the synopsis its argument is const charT, which doesn't makes much sense; it should probably be charT, or possible const charT&.

(4) basic_string::pop_back is missing.

(5) int compare(size_type pos, size_type n1, charT* s, size_type n2 = npos) make no sense. First, it's const charT* in the synopsis and charT* in the description. Second, given what it says in RETURNS, leaving out the final argument will always result in an exception getting thrown. This is paragraphs 5 and 6 of 27.4.3.7.8 [string.swap]

(6) In table 37, in section 27.2.2 [char.traits.require], there's a note for X::move(s, p, n). It says "Copies correctly even where p is in [s, s+n)". This is correct as far as it goes, but it doesn't go far enough; it should also guarantee that the copy is correct even where s in in [p, p+n). These are two orthogonal guarantees, and neither one follows from the other. Both guarantees are necessary if X::move is supposed to have the same sort of semantics as memmove (which was clearly the intent), and both guarantees are necessary if X::move is actually supposed to be useful.

Proposed resolution:

ITEM 1: In 21.3.5.4 [lib.string::insert], change paragraph 16 to

    EFFECTS: Equivalent to insert(p - begin(), basic_string(first, last)).

ITEM 2:  Not a defect; the Standard is clear.. There are ten versions of replace() in the synopsis, and ten versions in 21.3.5.6 [lib.string::replace].

ITEM 3: Change the declaration of push_back in the string synopsis (21.3, [lib.basic.string]) from:

     void push_back(const charT)

to

     void push_back(charT)

Add the following text immediately after 21.3.5.2 [lib.string::append], paragraph 10.

    void basic_string::push_back(charT c);
    EFFECTS: Equivalent to append(static_cast<size_type>(1), c);

ITEM 4: Not a defect. The omission appears to have been deliberate.

ITEM 5: Duplicate; see issue 5 (and 87).

ITEM 6: In table 37, Replace:

    "Copies correctly even where p is in [s, s+n)."

with:

     "Copies correctly even where the ranges [p, p+n) and [s, s+n) overlap."