C++ Interop: Mapping std::string_view to Core.Str

Pull request

Table of contents

Abstract

This proposal defines a direct, zero-cost mapping between C++’s std::string_view and Carbon’s Core.Str for C++ interoperability. The goal is to make C++ APIs that use std::string_view feel native and seamless when used from Carbon. This mapping relies on the two types having an identical memory representation, a condition that we will work to ensure across all supported platforms.

Problem

Seamless interoperability with C++ is a core goal for Carbon. std::string_view has become a ubiquitous, fundamental type in modern C++ for passing non-owning string data. Without a direct mapping, Carbon developers would be forced to work with ABI-incompatible wrapper types or manually unpack std::string_view instances into pointers and sizes.

This creates significant friction:

  1. Ergonomics: C++ APIs would not feel idiomatic. Developers would need to perform constant, boilerplate conversions.
  2. Performance: Any wrapper-based solution would break the zero-cost abstraction principle, potentially introducing overhead at the boundary.
  3. Adoption: The lack of seamless integration for such a basic type would be a significant barrier to migrating or integrating C++ codebases.

To provide a truly smooth migration path and interoperability story, Carbon must treat std::string_view as a first-class citizen, ideally as the same type as its native string view.

Background

Carbon’s Core.Str is, per #5969, the language’s fundamental non-owning view of a sequence of bytes. It is currently implemented as a pair of a pointer to the data and a 64-bit integer representing the size in bytes. The assumed memory layout is the pointer followed by the size.

C++’s std::string_view serves the same purpose. However, its memory layout is not standardized and varies between standard library implementations. This is critical for ABI compatibility.

The layouts for major C++ standard library implementations are as follows:

Standard Library Platform/Compiler Member Order Size Type (size_t) Notes Source
libc++ Clang (macOS, etc.) __data_, __size_ 64-bit (on 64-bit) Pointer first, then size. string_view
MSVC STL Microsoft Visual C++ _Mydata, _Mysize 64-bit (on 64-bit) Pointer first, then size. __msvc_string_view.hpp
libstdc++ GCC (Linux, etc.) _M_len, _M_str 64-bit (on 64-bit) Size first, then pointer. string_view

As the table shows, there is a key difference in member ordering, with libstdc++ being the outlier compared to the assumed layout of Core.Str.

Proposal

We propose to map C++ std::string_view directly to Carbon’s Core.Str when importing C++ headers. This means the Carbon compiler will treat std::string_view as a type alias for Core.Str at the ABI level.

To achieve this, the following conditions must be met:

  1. Identical Representation: The memory layout (sequence of fields, size, and alignment) of std::string_view and Core.Str must be identical for the target platform and C++ standard library.
  2. Platform-Wide Compatibility: The ultimate goal is for this mapping to work seamlessly across all Carbon-supported architectures.

Initially, this direct mapping will be enabled only for targets where the representation is known to match. For other platforms, we will pursue one of two strategies:

  • Work with standard library vendors (for example, libstdc++) to align on a consistent representation for std::string_view across architectures, falling back to providing a patched version of these libraries if necessary.
  • Adapt the memory layout of Carbon’s Core.Str on a per-platform basis to match the target’s native std::string_view ABI.

This ensures that while the initial implementation may be constrained, the long-term design is for universal, zero-cost compatibility.

Details

The initial implementation will assume Core.Str has a (pointer, size) layout. This means the direct mapping will work out-of-the-box on platforms using libc++ (Clang) and MSVC STL.

For platforms using libstdc++, the current (size, pointer) layout is incompatible. The direct mapping will be disabled on these platforms by default until compatibility is achieved. Our strategy is to first align Core.Str’s layout with the dominant (pointer, size) convention used by Clang and MSVC. We will then engage with the libstdc++ community to explore standardizing this layout for better cross-compiler compatibility.

Furthermore, Core.Str is defined with a 64-bit size field. C++ std::string_view uses size_t, which is 32-bit on 32-bit targets. Therefore, this direct mapping will initially be restricted to 64-bit targets, which are Carbon’s primary focus.

It is essential to recognize that both Core.Str and std::string_view are fundamentally views over bytes, not Unicode characters. This proposal maintains that semantic alignment. If Carbon requires a string type that understands character boundaries, it should be a separate, distinct type in the standard library and not interfere with this fundamental C++ interoperability mechanism.

Rationale

This proposal directly supports the following Carbon goals:

  • Interoperability with and migration from existing C++ code: std::string_view is one of the most common types in modern C++ interface design. A seamless mapping is not a luxury but a requirement for effective interoperability.
  • Performance-critical software: By ensuring a direct, zero-cost mapping, we avoid any performance penalties at the C++/Carbon boundary for string data. This is critical for systems programming where such overhead is unacceptable.
  • Code that is easy to read, understand, and write: A direct mapping allows developers to think of std::string_view and Core.Str as the same concept, reducing cognitive load and eliminating the need for manual conversions.
  • Naming of Core.Str: The choice of Str over String for the non-owning view type is intentional. It avoids confusion with owning types like C++’s std::string. Str is introduced as a new term of art for Carbon, providing a concise and readable name for this fundamental type. The shorter name is preferred for its clarity and reduced verbosity, especially for a type that will be used frequently. This is based on the decision in leads question #5969.

By defining a clear path toward universal ABI compatibility for this type, we are building a solid foundation for deep and performant integration with the existing C++ ecosystem.

Alternatives considered

1. Provide a Wrapper Type

We could choose to always import std::string_view as an opaque Carbon struct, for example, Core.Cpp.string_view.

  • Advantages: This would be ABI-safe on all platforms immediately.
  • Disadvantages: This approach is not seamless. It would require explicit conversions between Core.Str and Core.Cpp.string_view, adding boilerplate and potential performance overhead. It violates the goal of making C++ APIs feel native to Carbon.

2. Do Nothing

We could leave it to the developer to manually handle std::string_view by accepting it as an opaque type and using C++ helper functions to extract the pointer and size.

  • Advantages: Simplest to implement in the compiler.
  • Disadvantages: This provides a terrible developer experience and runs directly counter to Carbon’s core goal of excellent C++ interoperability. It would make using a vast number of modern C++ libraries prohibitively difficult.

The proposed approach of a direct mapping is superior as it prioritizes the long-term goals of performance and ergonomics, even if it requires a phased implementation to achieve full platform support.