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What are the differences between string.c_str() and &string[0]?

Regarding performance my guess is that &string[0] is a little faster than string.c_str() as it doesn't require a function call.

Regarding safety and stability common sense tells me that string.c_str() should have some checks implemented, but I don't know, that's why I'm asking.

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    One invokes undefined behaviour and the other doesn't. – Kilian Foth Nov 19 '13 at 13:14
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    string::operator[] certainly IS a function call. It uses syntactical sugar to look like array access, but it is a function. – user22815 Nov 20 '13 at 2:28
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In C++98 there is no guarantee that the internal array is null terminated; in other words string.data()[string.size()] results in undefined behavior. The implementation will then reallocate the array with the null termination when c_str() is called but can leave the null terminator off when it isn't.

This also means that &string[0] is not guaranteed to be null terminated (it is essentially a detour to data())

In C++11 the null termination guarantee is specified so string.data()==string.c_str() is always valid.

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  • so in C++98 &string[0] could be <> string.c_str() and result in undefined behavior when string.size() = 0 and in C++11 &string[0] == string.c_str() always ? – Stefan Rogin Nov 19 '13 at 13:57
  • I didn't understand this part: "The implementation will then reallocate the array with the null termination when c_str() is called but can leave the null terminator off when it isn't." – Stefan Rogin Nov 19 '13 at 14:00
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    @clickstefan the C++98 standard allows strings to share the internal array and have other strings point to a substring (which can't be null terminated), when that substring needs the `c_str()´ it will need to allocate it's own copy and add the terminator. and since it just allocated the array it will then be able to use that as its internal array. – ratchet freak Nov 19 '13 at 14:19

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