C Strings

C has no string type. A string is an array of characters ending with the special character \0. The <string.h> library provides helpers.

ExampleC

#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>

int main(void) {
  char name[] = "Ada";
  printf("%s has %zu letters\n", name, strlen(name));

  char greeting[30] = "Hello, ";
  strcat(greeting, name);
  printf("%s\n", greeting);

  printf("%d\n", strcmp("apple", "apple") == 0);   // 1: same text
  printf("%c\n", name[1]);                          // d

  char copy[10];
  strcpy(copy, "copy");
  printf("%s\n", copy);
  return 0;
}

Output

Ada has 3 letters
Hello, Ada
1
d
copy

Quick check

How does a C string end?

With a newlineWith the null character \0With a semicolon

Finish the quick check (and any code exercise) to complete this lesson, or mark it done yourself.

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