Reading a string in binary mode

[Christof Schardt]

"Ali Çehreli" <acehreli at yahoo.com> schrieb im Newsbeitrag 
news:lf2ude$1njf$1 at digitalmars.com...
> On 03/03/2014 01:44 PM, Christof Schardt wrote:> I'm evaluating D and try 
> to write a binary io class.
> > I got stuck with strings:
> >
> >      void rw(ref string x)
> >      {
> >          if(_isWriting)
> >          {
> >              int size = x.length;
> >              _f.rawWrite((&size)[0..1]);
> >              _f.rawWrite(x);
> >          }
> >          else
> >          {
> >              int size;
> >              _f.rawRead((&size)[0..1]);
> >
> >              ... what now?
>
> You need to have a buffer of 'size'. Not tested:
>
>     auto s = new char[size];
>     s = _f.rawRead(s);
>     x = s;
>
> However, the last line will not compile due to difference in mutability. 
> So will need to do something like this:
>
>     import std.exception : assumeUnique;
>
>     x = assumeUnique(s);
>
> >          }
> >      }
> >
> > Writing is ok, but how do I read the bytes to the
> > string x after having its size?
>
> Ali

Thanks, Ali, this works.

BTW: will your excellent book be equipped with a TOC and an index?

I find it hard to look for answers to questions like above in all
the D docs I have (dpl.org, TDPL, your book)