Speculations on arenas and custom strings in C++
The author explores arena allocation and custom strings in C++, aiming to simplify complexity by minimizing advanced features. Challenges with static initialization are noted, with proposed workarounds for compile-time construction.
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The article discusses the author's exploration of arena allocation and custom string implementations in C++, building on previous techniques used in C. The author aims to simplify the complexity of C++ by minimizing the use of advanced features and focusing on a C-style approach. Key points include avoiding C++ standard library headers, limiting the use of keywords like class and const, and minimizing template usage to reduce compile times. The author introduces a streamlined arena allocation method and a custom string type, emphasizing the importance of explicit memory management and initialization. The article also highlights challenges faced with C++ constructors, particularly regarding static initialization and compile-time construction. The author proposes workarounds for these issues, such as using unions for compile-time string construction. Ultimately, while the new features offer advantages, the author expresses concern over the static data problem and plans to test these implementations in larger projects.
- The author experiments with arena allocation and custom strings in C++ while minimizing complexity.
- A streamlined arena allocation method is introduced, focusing on explicit memory management.
- Custom string types are developed, but challenges with static initialization in C++ constructors are noted.
- Workarounds for compile-time string construction are proposed, including the use of unions.
- The author plans to evaluate the practicality of these implementations in larger projects.
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4 comments "Some text"_s8
Lost me there already.
> Its concepts regarding ownership and memory management are irreconcilable (move semantics, smart pointers, etc.), so I have to build from scratch anyway.
Absolutely not. The standard library has a zillion things, most pairs of which are independent and even unrelated. No type traits, no pairs and tuples, no std::arrays etc. - all things that are completely independent from memory management and ownership.
This provides the type being allocated to the operator new implementation.
If you want to experiment here’s the implementation: https://github.com/llvm/llvm-project/pull/113510
https://cppdepend.com/blog/understanding-small-string-optimi...
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