Why use c strings in c++?

Question

Is there any good reason to use C-strings in C++ nowadays? My textbook uses them in examples at some points, and I really feel like it would be easier just to use a std::string

Answer 1

The only reasons I've had to use them is when interfacing with 3rd party libraries that use C style strings. There might also be esoteric situations where you would use C style strings for performance reasons, but more often than not, using methods on C++ strings is probably faster due to inlining and specialization, etc.

You can use the c_str() method in many cases when working with those sort of APIs, but you should be aware that the char * returned is const, and you should not modify the string via that pointer. In those sort of situations, you can still use a vector instead, and at least get the benefit of easier memory management.