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<a name="Conventions"></a>
<a name="SEC8"></a>
<h1 class="chapter"> <a href="libunistring_toc.html#TOC8">2. Conventions</a> </h1>

<p>This chapter explains conventions valid throughout the libunistring library.
</p>
<a name="IDX14"></a>
<p>Variables of type <code>char *</code> denote C strings in locale encoding.
See <a href="libunistring_1.html#SEC4">Locale encodings</a>.
</p>
<p>Variables of type <code>uint8_t *</code> denote UTF-8 strings.  Their units
are bytes.
</p>
<p>Variables of type <code>uint16_t *</code> denote UTF-16 strings, without byte
order mark.  Their units are 2-byte words.
</p>
<p>Variables of type <code>uint32_t *</code> denote UTF-32 strings, without byte
order mark.  Their units are 4-byte words.
</p>
<p>Argument pairs <code>(<var>s</var>, <var>n</var>)</code> denote a string
<code><var>s</var>[0..<var>n</var>-1]</code> with exactly <var>n</var> units.<a name="DOCF1" href="libunistring_fot.html#FOOT1">(1)</a>
</p>
<p>All functions with prefix &lsquo;<samp>ulc_</samp>&rsquo; operate on C strings in locale
encoding.
</p>
<p>All functions with prefix &lsquo;<samp>u8_</samp>&rsquo; operate on UTF-8 strings.
</p>
<p>All functions with prefix &lsquo;<samp>u16_</samp>&rsquo; operate on UTF-16 strings.
</p>
<p>All functions with prefix &lsquo;<samp>u32_</samp>&rsquo; operate on UTF-32 strings.
</p>
<p>For every function with prefix &lsquo;<samp>u8_</samp>&rsquo;, operating on UTF-8 strings,
there is also a corresponding function with prefix &lsquo;<samp>u16_</samp>&rsquo;,
operating on UTF-16 strings, and a corresponding function with prefix
&lsquo;<samp>u32_</samp>&rsquo;, operating on UTF-32 strings.  Their description is
analogous; in this documentation we describe only the function that
operates on UTF-8 strings, for brevity.
</p>
<p>A declaration with a variable <var>n</var> denotes the three concrete
declarations with <var>n</var> = 8, <var>n</var> = 16, <var>n</var> = 32.
</p>
<p>All parameters starting with &lsquo;<samp>str</samp>&rsquo; and the parameters of
functions starting with <code>u8_str</code>/<code>u16_str</code>/<code>u32_str</code>
denote a NUL terminated string.
</p>
<a name="IDX15"></a>
<p>Error values are always returned through the <code>errno</code> variable,
usually with a return value that indicates the presence of an error
(NULL for functions that return an pointer, or -1 for functions that
return an <code>int</code>).
</p>
<p>Functions returning a string result take a
<code>(<var>resultbuf</var>, <var>lengthp</var>)</code>
argument pair.  If <var>resultbuf</var> is not NULL and the result fits
into <code>*<var>lengthp</var></code> units, it is put in <var>resultbuf</var>, and
<var>resultbuf</var> is returned.  Otherwise, a freshly allocated string
is returned.  In both cases, <code>*<var>lengthp</var></code> is set to the
length (number of units) of the returned string.  In case of error,
NULL is returned and <code>errno</code> is set.
</p>
<p>To invoke such a function:
</p><ul>
<li>
First ask yourself whether you want to accept the overhead of a
<code>malloc</code> invocation even for a small-sized result.
If yes, pass NULL as <var>resultbuf</var>.
If no, allocate an array of units on the stack, typically between 50 and
4000 bytes large; pass this array as <var>resultbuf</var>; and initialize
<code>*<var>lengthp</var></code> to the number of units of this array.
</li><li>
Upon return from such a function, look at the return value:
NULL means an error; look at the value of <code>errno</code> in this case.
Otherwise, the return value is the result, with <code>*<var>lengthp</var></code>
units.  Note that the function has <em>not</em> added an extra NUL
character at the end.
</li><li>
Finally, do memory management.  You know that the result was
<code>malloc</code>-allocated if it is <code>!= NULL</code> and
<code>!= <var>resultbuf</var></code>.
</li></ul>

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