Difference Between Array of Characters and std::string in C++

In C++, we have character array and std::string class both of which are used to store the sequence of characters. The character arrays are a part of C-style programming on the other hand std::string is a part of the C++ standard library. In this article, we will discuss what are some major differences between the character array and std::string objects in C++.

Array of Characters

The array of characters or char array in C++ is used to store a sequence of characters in contiguous memory locations. It is terminated by a null character ('\0') that marks the end of the string.

Syntax

char charArrayName[size]; 

Example

C++

// C++ program to demonstrate the declaration and
// initialization of a char array in C++.

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

int main()
{
    // Declaring and initializing a char array
    char greeting[] = "Hello, Geek!";

    // Printing the content of the char array
    cout << greeting << endl;

    return 0;
}

Output

Hello, Geek!

std::string in C++

The std::string is a class in C++ which is a part of STL (standard template library) and used to store sequence of characters. It is vastly used as it handles memory allocation and resizing automatically.

Syntax

string stringName = " "

Example

C++

// C++ program to demonstrate the use of string
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
using namespace std;

int main()
{
    // Declaring and initializing an string
    string greeting = "Hello, Geek!";

    // Printing the content of the string
    cout << greeting << endl;

    // Using string member functions
    greeting += " How are you?";
    cout << greeting << endl;

    // Accessing the length of the string
    cout << "Length of the string: " << greeting.length()
         << endl;

    return 0;
}

Output

Hello, Geek!
Hello, Geek! How are you?
Length of the string: 25

Difference between Char Array and String in c++

The below table illustrates the major differences between char array and string in C++.

Feature	Char Array	String
Memory Management	Static – Fixed size upon declaration	Dynamic – Resizes automatically
Null-Termination	Null-terminated (‘\0’).	No null-termination.
Functionality	Requires manual handling of character sequences	Rich set of member functions (e.g., concatenation, substring extraction)
Ease of Use	May be less intuitive, more error-prone.	More intuitive and convenient due to member functions.
Compatibility	Compatible with C-style string functions.	Part of C++ Standard Library, may not be compatible in all environments.
Portability	Compatible with C and C++ both.	Standardized in C++ environments, may not be available in some scenarios

Conclusion

In conclusion char arrays are mainly used because it offers simplicity and compatibility with C, making them suitable for certain scenarios. However, string provides a more robust features and is very easy to handle as it is dynamic and can easily handle memory allocation and resizing automatically.