properly passing strings to functions? (C++ vs D)

[IGotD-]

On Monday, 11 January 2021 at 14:12:57 UTC, zack wrote:
>
> D:
> void myPrint(string text){ ... }
> void myPrintRef(ref string text) { ... }
>

In D strings are immutable so there will be no copying when 
passing as function parameters. Strings are essentially like 
slices when passing them.

I usually use "const string text" because D has no implicit 
declaration of variables. So using "ref" will not create a 
variable. This is contrary to C++ where passing as "const 
std::string &text" has a performance benefit and also C++ creates 
a unnamed variable for you.

ex.

void myFunction1(const string text);
void myFunction2(const ref string text);

myFunction1("test");
myFunction2("test"); -------> error cannot create an implicit 
reference

then you have to do like this
string t = "text";
myFunction2(t);

This will work but you have to do the extra step by declaring t. 
Annoying as you cannot write text literals directly in the 
function parameters, therefore I do not use "ref" and it doesn't 
have a big benefit in D either.