Store a null-terminated string

The mi_string_to_lvarchar() function copies a null-terminated string into a varying-length structure that it creates. This function performs the following steps:
  1. Allocates a new varying-length structure.

    The mi_string_to_lvarchar() function allocates the varying-length descriptor, setting the data length and data pointer appropriately. Both the data length and the size of the data portion are the length of the null-terminated string without its null terminator.

    Server only: The mi_string_to_lvarchar() function allocates the varying-length structure that it creates with the current memory duration.
  2. Copies the data of the null-terminated string into the newly allocated data portion.

    The mi_string_to_lvarchar() function does not copy the null terminator of the string.

  3. Returns a pointer to the newly allocated varying-length structure.
The following code fragment uses mi_string_to_lvarchar() to store a null-terminated string in the data portion of a new varying-length structure: 
char *local_var;
mi_larchar *lvarch;
...
/* Allocate memory for null-terminated string */
local_var = (char *)mi_alloc(200);

/* Create the varying-length data to store */
sprintf(local_var, "%s %s %s", "A varying-length structure ",
   "stores data in a data portion, which is separate from ",
   "the varying-length structure.");

/* Store the null-terminated string as varying-length data */
lvarch = mi_string_to_lvarchar(local_var);
The following figure shows the format of the varying-length structure that lvarch references after the preceding call to mi_string_to_lvarchar() successfully completes.
Figure 1: Copying a null-terminated string into a varying-length structure

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The lvarch varying-length structure in Copying a null-terminated string into a varying-length structure has a data length of 110. The null terminator is not included in the data length because the mi_string_to_lvarchar() function does not copy the null terminator into the data portion.

If your DataBlade® API module needs to store a null terminator as part of the varying-length data, you can take the following steps:
  1. Increment the data length accordingly and save it in the varying-length descriptor with the mi_set_varlen() function.
  2. Copy the data, including the null terminator, into the varying-length structure with the mi_set_vardata() or mi_set_vardata_align() function.

    These functions copy in the null terminator because the data length includes the null-terminator byte in its count. These functions assume that the data portion is large enough to hold the string and any null terminator.

After you perform these steps, you can obtain the null terminator as part of the varying-length data.
Important: If you choose to store null terminators as part of your varying-length data, your code must keep track that this data is null-terminated. The DataBlade API functions that handle varying-length structures do not track the presence of a null terminator.
The following code fragment stores a string plus a null terminator in the varying-length structure that lvarch references: 
#define TEXT_LENGTH 200
...

mi_lvarchar *lvarch;
char *var_text;
mi_integer var_len;
...
/* Allocate memory for null-terminated string */
var_text = (char *)mi_alloc(TEXT_LENGTH);

/* Create the varying-length data to store */
sprintf(var_text, "%s %s %s", "A varying-length structure ",
   "stores data in a data portion, which is separate from ",
   "the varying-length structure.");
var_len = stleng(var_text) + 1;

/* Allocate a varying-length structure to hold the 
 * null-terminated string (with its null terminator)
 */
lvarch = mi_new_var(var_len);

/* Copy the number of bytes that the data length specifies
 * (which includes the null terminator) into the 
 * varying-length structure
 */
mi_set_vardata(lvarch, var_text);
The following figure shows the format of this varying-length structure after the preceding call to mi_set_vardata() successfully completes.
Figure 2: Copying a null-terminated string into a varying-length structure

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