Type base-string

Supertypes:

base-string, string, vector, array, sequence, t

Description:

The type base-string is equivalent to (vector base-char). A \term{base string} is the most efficient \term{string} that can hold this next phrase added in answer to Symbolics' concerns that otherwise a special representation for certain subsets of standard-char might be unintentionally prohibited by the spec. an arbitrary sequence of \term{standard characters}. Rewritten for Sandra to use "representation" -kmp 13-Jan-92 !!! KAB (re: "efficient") I think we never decided what this meant. True? KMP: True.The base string representation is the most efficient string representation that can hold an arbitrary sequence of standard characters.

!!! Should this be said somewhere?? \issue{CHARACTER-PROPOSAL:2-3} An implementation can support \term{string} subtypes in addition to the ones defined in this standard. For example, an implementation supporting Arabic and Cyrillic characters might provide as extended characters: \beginlist \itemitem{\typeref{general-string}} Can contain Arabic, Cyrillic or \term{base characters} in any mixture. \itemitem{\typeref{region-specialized-string}} Can contain installation-selected repertoire (Arabic/Cyrillic) or \term{base characters} in any mixture. \itemitem{\typeref{base-string}} Can contain \term{base characters}. \endlist Though portability of applications using \typeref{region-specialized-string} is limited, a performance advantage might argue for its use. Alternatively, an implementation supporting a large base character repertoire including, say, Japanese Kanji might define \issue{CHARACTER-VS-CHAR:LESS-INCONSISTENT-SHORT} \typeref{base-char} \endissue{CHARACTER-VS-CHAR:LESS-INCONSISTENT-SHORT} as equivalent to \term{character}. We expect that applications sensitive to the performance of character handling in some host environments will utilize the string subtypes to provide performance improvement. Applications with emphasis on international portability will likely utilize only {\clkwd general-strings}. \term{Base strings} allow for more compact representation of \term{strings} of \term{base characters}, which are likely to predominate in any system. Note that in any particular implementation the \term{base characters} need not be the most compactly representable, since others might have a smaller repertoire. However, in most implementations \term{base strings} are likely to be more space efficient than other types of \term{strings}. \endissue{CHARACTER-PROPOSAL:2-3}

Compound Type Specifier Kind:

Abbreviating.

Compound Type Specifier Syntax:

Compound Type Specifier Arguments:

size—a non-negative fixnum, or the symbol *.

Compound Type Specifier Description:

This is equivalent to the type (vector base-char size); that is, the set of base strings of size size.