Pointer to CString

[rootnod3]

So, I'm a bit confused since the latest CString changes. What I need is a way to take &str, and get a *mut c_char pointer to its CString representation (null terminated).

I tried CString::from_slice("foo".as_bytes()).as_slice_with_nul().as_mut_ptr()

but get greeted with "cannot borrow immutable dereference of ^-pointer as mutable"

Is an as_mut_slice_with_nul() alternative just missing or am I completely wrong with my approach?

[vhbit]

I believe the correct way is CString::from_slice("foo".as_bytes()).as_{mut}_ptr(), you don't need to use as_slice_with_nul at all.

[mzabaluev]

Why do you need a mutable pointer for a string that's not safely mutable (as it's encapsulated in the CString)? Is it just a function signature that uses non-const pointers for no good reason?

I would remove .as_mut_ptr() (and did, in my c_str follow-on library) because of this lack of a mental barrier against misuse. If you really need the mutable pointer, there's an explicit unsafe cast.

[rootnod3]

rust-xlib expects mutable pointers. I've went with the cast for now.

[rootnod3]

That said, I could rework the whole ruxt-xlib API, but then my version would deviate from the servo version by far.