String Data types

This page applies to Harlequin v13.1r0 and later; and to Harlequin MultiRIP but not Harlequin Core

The string operations define one opaque data structure, the string record (PlgFwStrRecord ) and several opaque data variables (ODVs). The following ODVs are defined for handling 64‐bit integers:

PlgFwByte A single byte. No assumptions are made about the byte's content.

PlgFwRawByte A single byte with no encoding.

PlgFwTextString Pointer to a string of PlgFwTextByte .

Table 18.5 Data types used in string handling

PlgFwTextCharacter A single character encoded using the HES.

The numeric equivalents of the values that a character may take are as follows:

Greater than zero a valid HES character encoding value
Zero the zero terminator for an HES string
Less than zero an invalid HES encoding

Table 18.5 Data types used in string handling

PlgFwStrRecord

Many string operations are based around the string record (PlgFwStrRecord ). This is a data structure designed for the storage of multi‐byte encoded strings. A string record can store either an extensible string, or a fixed length string.

PlgFwStrRecord is an opaque data structure.

A string record has a lifecycle described by the following section of pseudocode:

Allocate the record

TEXT

(PlgFwStrRecordAlloc) REPEAT AS NEEDED
    {
      EITHER
      {

Open the record as extensible (PlgFwStrRecordOpen[Size] ) Perform operations changing and/or inspecting the record.

Close the record (PlgFwStrRecordClose). Perform operations which only inspect the record. Abandon the record

TEXT

(PlgFwStrRecordAbandon).
      }
      OR
      {

Open the record as fixed (PlgFwStrRecordOpenOn). Perform operations changing and/or inspecting the record. Close the record (PlgFwStrRecordClose).

Perform operations which only inspect the record. Abandon the record

TEXT

(PlgFwStrRecordAbandon).
      }
    }

Deallocate the record (PlgFwStrRecordFree).