Re: Is a char array initializer a "string literal"?

From	Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com>
Newsgroups	comp.lang.c++
Subject	Re: Is a char array initializer a "string literal"?
Date	2022-07-27 15:38 -0700
Organization	None to speak of
Message-ID	<87zgguw59u.fsf@nosuchdomain.example.com> (permalink)
References	<tbo6pa$cdd$1@gioia.aioe.org> <tbq2gk$2a4ok$1@dont-email.me> <87k07zxpgg.fsf@nosuchdomain.example.com> <tbs5qm$2k527$1@dont-email.me>

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Andrey Tarasevich <andreytarasevich@hotmail.com> writes:
> On 7/26/2022 7:24 PM, Keith Thompson wrote:
>> Andrey Tarasevich <andreytarasevich@hotmail.com> writes:
>>> On 7/26/2022 12:57 AM, Juha Nieminen wrote:
>>>> In another forum I was discussing string literals and char arrays.
>>>> During the conversation this question occurred to me:
>>>> In an array initialization like this:
>>>>       char str[] = "hello";
>>>> can that "hello" even be considered a "string literal", or should it
>>>> be classified as something else?
>>>
>>> Yes, it is a string literal. I.e. formally it is an independent object
>>> with static storage duration, independent and separate from `str` in
>>> your example.
>> It is a string literal, i.e., it is a source code token starting and
>> ending with a '"' character.  The corresponding object with static
>> storage duration is not a string literal.  It doesn't exist until
>> execution time.
>
> No. The distinctions is there, but it is different.

I don't think it's different.

> While it is true that the standard text differentiates between
> lexical/grammatical `string-literal` (hyphenated) and "string literal 
> object", the former is generally treated as an expression, not as a
> mere token in source code. For example, in 7.5.1: "[...] A
> string-literal is an lvalue. [...]".

It's a token and it's an expression.  "A *literal* is a primary
expression" [expr.prim.literal].

> A "string literal" is an expression that evaluates to a "string
> literal object".

Yes.  How does that disagree with what I wrote?  (A string literal
object is not a string literal.)

> Also, Note 7 on 5.13.5 (admittedly non-normative) goes as far as
> stating "The effect of attempting to modify a string-literal is
> undefined." I hope you understand that this not not an attempt to
> dissuade us from modifying the source code of our programs.

Yes.  It would have been more precise to say that "The effect of
attempting to modify a string literal object is undefined."  The current
wording is informal, and I don't have a huge problem with it.

> These nothing wrong with taking the same terminological liberties in a
> Usenet discussion.

Unless the point of confusion in the original post is precisely the
distinction I pointed out.

-- 
Keith Thompson (The_Other_Keith) Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com
Working, but not speaking, for Philips
void Void(void) { Void(); } /* The recursive call of the void */

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Thread

Is a char array initializer a "string literal"? Juha Nieminen <nospam@thanks.invalid> - 2022-07-26 07:57 +0000
  Re: Is a char array initializer a "string literal"? Muttley@dastardlyhq.com - 2022-07-26 08:03 +0000
  Re: Is a char array initializer a "string literal"? Öö Tiib <ootiib@hot.ee> - 2022-07-26 01:51 -0700
    Re: Is a char array initializer a "string literal"? Juha Nieminen <nospam@thanks.invalid> - 2022-07-26 10:07 +0000
      Re: Is a char array initializer a "string literal"? Öö Tiib <ootiib@hot.ee> - 2022-07-26 05:10 -0700
        Re: Is a char array initializer a "string literal"? Öö Tiib <ootiib@hot.ee> - 2022-07-26 06:18 -0700
        Re: Is a char array initializer a "string literal"? Juha Nieminen <nospam@thanks.invalid> - 2022-07-26 16:03 +0000
          Re: Is a char array initializer a "string literal"? "Alf P. Steinbach" <alf.p.steinbach@gmail.com> - 2022-07-26 18:18 +0200
            Re: Is a char array initializer a "string literal"? Juha Nieminen <nospam@thanks.invalid> - 2022-07-27 07:40 +0000
              Re: Is a char array initializer a "string literal"? Öö Tiib <ootiib@hot.ee> - 2022-07-27 01:17 -0700
  Re: Is a char array initializer a "string literal"? Bo Persson <bo@bo-persson.se> - 2022-07-26 11:11 +0200
  Re: Is a char array initializer a "string literal"? Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2022-07-26 02:30 -0700
    Re: Is a char array initializer a "string literal"? Juha Nieminen <nospam@thanks.invalid> - 2022-07-26 10:19 +0000
    Re: Is a char array initializer a "string literal"? Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2022-07-26 12:03 -0700
      Re: Is a char array initializer a "string literal"? Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2022-07-27 01:56 -0700
        Re: Is a char array initializer a "string literal"? Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2022-07-27 11:02 -0700
  Re: Is a char array initializer a "string literal"? "Alf P. Steinbach" <alf.p.steinbach@gmail.com> - 2022-07-26 11:36 +0200
    Re: Is a char array initializer a "string literal"? Juha Nieminen <nospam@thanks.invalid> - 2022-07-26 10:22 +0000
      Re: Is a char array initializer a "string literal"? "Alf P. Steinbach" <alf.p.steinbach@gmail.com> - 2022-07-26 16:50 +0200
  Re: Is a char array initializer a "string literal"? Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2022-07-26 12:13 -0700
  Re: Is a char array initializer a "string literal"? Andrey Tarasevich <andreytarasevich@hotmail.com> - 2022-07-26 17:56 -0700
    Re: Is a char array initializer a "string literal"? Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2022-07-26 19:24 -0700
      Re: Is a char array initializer a "string literal"? Andrey Tarasevich <andreytarasevich@hotmail.com> - 2022-07-27 13:05 -0700
        Re: Is a char array initializer a "string literal"? Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2022-07-27 15:38 -0700

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