indexing
	description: "A low-level string class to solve some garbage collector problems (mainly objects moving around) when interfacing with C APIs."
	legal: "See notice at end of class."
	status: "See notice at end of class."
	date: "$Date: 2006-08-08 18:54:41 -0700 (Tue, 08 Aug 2006) $"
	revision: "$Revision: 62353 $"

class interface
	C_STRING

create 
	make (a_string: STRING_GENERAL)
			-- Make a C string from `a_string'.
		require
			a_string_not_void: a_string /= Void

	make_empty (a_length: INTEGER_32)
			-- Make an empty C string of `a_length' characters.
			-- C memory area is not initialized.
		require
			a_length_positive: a_length >= 0

	make_by_pointer (a_ptr: POINTER)
			-- Make a copy of string pointed by `a_ptr'.
		require
			a_ptr_not_null: a_ptr /= default_pointer

	make_by_pointer_and_count (a_ptr: POINTER; a_length: INTEGER_32)
			-- Make a copy of first `a_length' byte of string pointed by `a_ptr'.
		require
			a_ptr_not_null: a_ptr /= default_pointer
			a_length_non_negative: a_length >= 0

	share_from_pointer (a_ptr: POINTER)
			-- New instance sharing `a_ptr'.
		require
			a_ptr_not_null: a_ptr /= default_pointer

	share_from_pointer_and_count (a_ptr: POINTER; a_length: INTEGER_32)
			-- New instance sharing `a_ptr' of `a_length' byte.
		require
			a_ptr_not_null: a_ptr /= default_pointer
			a_length_non_negative: a_length >= 0

feature -- Initialization

	share_from_pointer (a_ptr: POINTER)
			-- New instance sharing `a_ptr'.
		require
			a_ptr_not_null: a_ptr /= default_pointer

	share_from_pointer_and_count (a_ptr: POINTER; a_length: INTEGER_32)
			-- New instance sharing `a_ptr' of `a_length' byte.
		require
			a_ptr_not_null: a_ptr /= default_pointer
			a_length_non_negative: a_length >= 0
	
feature -- Access

	generating_type: STRING_8
			-- Name of current object's generating type
			-- (type of which it is a direct instance)
			-- (from ANY)

	generator: STRING_8
			-- Name of current object's generating class
			-- (base class of the type of which it is a direct instance)
			-- (from ANY)

	item: POINTER
			-- Get pointer to allocated area.
		ensure
			item_not_null: Result /= default_pointer

	managed_data: MANAGED_POINTER
			-- Hold data of Current.

	read_string_into (a_string: STRING_GENERAL)
			-- Copy of substring containing all characters at indices
			-- between `start_pos' and `end_pos' into `a_string' replacing any
			-- existing characters.
		require
			a_string_not_void: a_string /= Void
			a_string_large_enough: a_string.count >= count

	read_substring_into (a_string: STRING_GENERAL; start_pos, end_pos: INTEGER_32)
			-- Copy of substring containing all characters at indices
			-- between `start_pos' and `end_pos' into `a_string'.
		require
			a_string_not_void: a_string /= Void
			start_position_big_enough: start_pos >= 1
			end_position_big_enough: start_pos <= end_pos + 1
			end_position_not_too_big: end_pos <= capacity
			a_string_large_enough: a_string.count >= end_pos - start_pos + 1

	string: STRING_8
			-- Eiffel string, ignoring count. Reads until a null character is being read.
		ensure
			string_not_void: Result /= Void

	substring (start_pos, end_pos: INTEGER_32): STRING_8
			-- Copy of substring containing all characters at indices
			-- between `start_pos' and `end_pos'.
		require
			start_position_big_enough: start_pos >= 1
			end_position_big_enough: start_pos <= end_pos + 1
			end_position_not_too_big: end_pos <= capacity
		ensure
			susbstring_not_void: Result /= Void
	
feature -- Measurement

	bytes_count: INTEGER_32
			-- Number of bytes represented by the string.

	capacity: INTEGER_32
			-- Number of characters in Current.

	character_size: INTEGER_32 is 1
			-- Size of a character

	count: INTEGER_32
			-- Number of characters in Current.
	
feature -- Comparison

	frozen deep_equal (some: ANY; other: like arg #1): BOOLEAN
			-- Are `some' and `other' either both void
			-- or attached to isomorphic object structures?
			-- (from ANY)
		ensure -- from ANY
			shallow_implies_deep: standard_equal (some, other) implies Result
			both_or_none_void: (some = Void) implies (Result = (other = Void))
			same_type: (Result and (some /= Void)) implies some.same_type (other)
			symmetric: Result implies deep_equal (other, some)

	frozen equal (some: ANY; other: like arg #1): BOOLEAN
			-- Are `some' and `other' either both void or attached
			-- to objects considered equal?
			-- (from ANY)
		ensure -- from ANY
			definition: Result = (some = Void and other = Void) or else ((some /= Void and other /= Void) and then some.is_equal (other))

	is_equal (other: like Current): BOOLEAN
			-- Is `other' attached to an object considered
			-- equal to current object?
			-- (from ANY)
		require -- from ANY
			other_not_void: other /= Void
		ensure -- from ANY
			symmetric: Result implies other.is_equal (Current)
			consistent: standard_is_equal (other) implies Result

	frozen standard_equal (some: ANY; other: like arg #1): BOOLEAN
			-- Are `some' and `other' either both void or attached to
			-- field-by-field identical objects of the same type?
			-- Always uses default object comparison criterion.
			-- (from ANY)
		ensure -- from ANY
			definition: Result = (some = Void and other = Void) or else ((some /= Void and other /= Void) and then some.standard_is_equal (other))

	frozen standard_is_equal (other: like Current): BOOLEAN
			-- Is `other' attached to an object of the same type
			-- as current object, and field-by-field identical to it?
			-- (from ANY)
		require -- from ANY
			other_not_void: other /= Void
		ensure -- from ANY
			same_type: Result implies same_type (other)
			symmetric: Result implies other.standard_is_equal (Current)
	
feature -- Status report

	conforms_to (other: ANY): BOOLEAN
			-- Does type of current object conform to type
			-- of `other' (as per Eiffel: The Language, chapter 13)?
			-- (from ANY)
		require -- from ANY
			other_not_void: other /= Void

	same_type (other: ANY): BOOLEAN
			-- Is type of current object identical to type of `other'?
			-- (from ANY)
		require -- from ANY
			other_not_void: other /= Void
		ensure -- from ANY
			definition: Result = (conforms_to (other) and other.conforms_to (Current))
	
feature -- Element change

	fill_blank
			-- Fill Current with zeros.

	fill_value (a_value: INTEGER_8)
			-- Fill Current with `a_value'.

	set_count (a_count: INTEGER_32)
			-- Set count with `a_count'.
			-- Note: Current content from index `1' to
			-- `count.min (a_count)' is unchanged.
		require
			a_count_non_negative: a_count >= 0
		ensure
			count_set: count = a_count

	set_string (a_string: STRING_GENERAL)
			-- Set string with `a_string'.
		require
			a_string_not_void: a_string /= Void
			a_string_is_string_8: a_string.is_valid_as_string_8

	set_substring (a_string: STRING_GENERAL; start_pos, end_pos: INTEGER_32)
			-- Set string with `a_string'.
		require
			a_string_not_void: a_string /= Void
			start_position_big_enough: start_pos >= 1
			end_position_big_enough: start_pos <= end_pos + 1
			end_pos_small_enough: end_pos <= a_string.count
	
feature -- Duplication

	copy (other: like Current)
			-- Update current object using fields of object attached
			-- to `other', so as to yield equal objects.
			-- (from ANY)
		require -- from ANY
			other_not_void: other /= Void
			type_identity: same_type (other)
		ensure -- from ANY
			is_equal: is_equal (other)

	frozen deep_copy (other: like Current)
			-- Effect equivalent to that of:
			--		copy (`other' . deep_twin)
			-- (from ANY)
		require -- from ANY
			other_not_void: other /= Void
		ensure -- from ANY
			deep_equal: deep_equal (Current, other)

	frozen deep_twin: like Current
			-- New object structure recursively duplicated from Current.
			-- (from ANY)
		ensure -- from ANY
			deep_equal: deep_equal (Current, Result)

	frozen standard_copy (other: like Current)
			-- Copy every field of `other' onto corresponding field
			-- of current object.
			-- (from ANY)
		require -- from ANY
			other_not_void: other /= Void
			type_identity: same_type (other)
		ensure -- from ANY
			is_standard_equal: standard_is_equal (other)

	frozen standard_twin: like Current
			-- New object field-by-field identical to `other'.
			-- Always uses default copying semantics.
			-- (from ANY)
		ensure -- from ANY
			standard_twin_not_void: Result /= Void
			equal: standard_equal (Result, Current)

	frozen twin: like Current
			-- New object equal to `Current'
			-- twin calls copy; to change copying/twining semantics, redefine copy.
			-- (from ANY)
		ensure -- from ANY
			twin_not_void: Result /= Void
			is_equal: Result.is_equal (Current)
	
feature -- Basic operations

	frozen default: like Current
			-- Default value of object's type
			-- (from ANY)

	frozen default_pointer: POINTER
			-- Default value of type `POINTER'
			-- (Avoid the need to write `p'.default for
			-- some `p' of type `POINTER'.)
			-- (from ANY)

	default_rescue
			-- Process exception for routines with no Rescue clause.
			-- (Default: do nothing.)
			-- (from ANY)

	frozen do_nothing
			-- Execute a null action.
			-- (from ANY)
	
feature -- Output

	io: STD_FILES
			-- Handle to standard file setup
			-- (from ANY)

	out: STRING_8
			-- New string containing terse printable representation
			-- of current object
			-- Was declared in ANY as synonym of tagged_out.
			-- (from ANY)

	print (some: ANY)
			-- Write terse external representation of `some'
			-- on standard output.
			-- (from ANY)

	frozen tagged_out: STRING_8
			-- New string containing terse printable representation
			-- of current object
			-- Was declared in ANY as synonym of out.
			-- (from ANY)
	
feature -- Platform

	operating_environment: OPERATING_ENVIRONMENT
			-- Objects available from the operating system
			-- (from ANY)
	
feature --{NONE} -- Initialization

	make (a_string: STRING_GENERAL)
			-- Make a C string from `a_string'.
		require
			a_string_not_void: a_string /= Void

	make_by_pointer (a_ptr: POINTER)
			-- Make a copy of string pointed by `a_ptr'.
		require
			a_ptr_not_null: a_ptr /= default_pointer

	make_by_pointer_and_count (a_ptr: POINTER; a_length: INTEGER_32)
			-- Make a copy of first `a_length' byte of string pointed by `a_ptr'.
		require
			a_ptr_not_null: a_ptr /= default_pointer
			a_length_non_negative: a_length >= 0

	make_empty (a_length: INTEGER_32)
			-- Make an empty C string of `a_length' characters.
			-- C memory area is not initialized.
		require
			a_length_positive: a_length >= 0
	
invariant
	managed_data_not_void: managed_data /= Void
	count_not_negative: count >= 0

		-- from ANY
	reflexive_equality: standard_is_equal (Current)
	reflexive_conformance: conforms_to (Current)

indexing
	library: "EiffelBase: Library of reusable components for Eiffel."
	copyright: "Copyright (c) 1984-2006, Eiffel Software and others"
	license: "Eiffel Forum License v2 (see http://www.eiffel.com/licensing/forum.txt)"
	source: "[
		Eiffel Software
		356 Storke Road, Goleta, CA 93117 USA
		Telephone 805-685-1006, Fax 805-685-6869
		Website http://www.eiffel.com
		Customer support http://support.eiffel.com
	]"

end -- class C_STRING