How Do I Safely Copy Go Strings to C `char*` Pointers Using CGO?

Copying Go Strings to C char * Pointers Using CGO

In Go, the ability to utilize the C programming language's capabilities via CGO is significant. One common task involves copying Go strings into C char * pointers. However, the approach mentioned in the initial question:

func copy_string(cstr *C.char) {
    str := "foo"
    C.GoString(cstr) = str
}

is incorrect. The correct method to copy a Go string to a C char pointer involves the C.CString function. This function converts a Go string to a C-style null-terminated string, which can be assigned to a char pointer.

cstr := C.CString(str)

It's important to note that C.CString allocates memory for the C-style string, but doesn't automatically release it. To avoid memory leaks, it's crucial to manually free the allocated memory using the C.free function:

C.free(unsafe.Pointer(cstr))

By employing these functions, you can successfully copy Go strings into C char * pointers, enabling seamless integration between Go and C. Remember to handle memory management appropriately to ensure efficient and safe code execution.

The above is the detailed content of How Do I Safely Copy Go Strings to C `char*` Pointers Using CGO?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!