[byte.strings]

# 16 Library introduction [[library]](./#library)

## 16.3 Method of description [[description]](description#byte.strings)

### 16.3.3 Other conventions [[conventions]](conventions#byte.strings)

#### 16.3.3.3 Type descriptions [[type.descriptions]](type.descriptions#byte.strings)

#### 16.3.3.3.4 Character sequences [[character.seq]](character.seq#byte.strings)

#### 16.3.3.3.4.2 Byte strings [byte.strings]

[1](#1)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/lib-intro.tex#L788)

A [*null-terminated byte string*](#def:ntbs "16.3.3.3.4.2 Byte strings [byte.strings]"),
or ntbs,
is a character sequence whose highest-addressed element
with defined content has the value zero
(the [*terminating null character*](#def:character,terminating_null "16.3.3.3.4.2 Byte strings [byte.strings]"));
no other element in the sequence has the value zero[.](#1.sentence-1)[139](#footnote-139 "Many of the objects manipulated by function signatures declared in <cstring> are character sequences or ntbss. The size of some of these character sequences is limited by a length value, maintained separately from the character sequence.")

[2](#2)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/lib-intro.tex#L803)

The [*length of an ntbs*](#def:ntbs,length "16.3.3.3.4.2 Byte strings [byte.strings]") is the number of elements that
precede the terminating null character[.](#2.sentence-1)

An [*empty ntbs*](#def:ntbs,empty "16.3.3.3.4.2 Byte strings [byte.strings]") has a length of zero[.](#2.sentence-2)

[3](#3)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/lib-intro.tex#L810)

The [*value of an ntbs*](#def:ntbs,value "16.3.3.3.4.2 Byte strings [byte.strings]") is the sequence of values of the
elements up to and including the terminating null character[.](#3.sentence-1)

[4](#4)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/lib-intro.tex#L815)

A [*static ntbs*](#def:ntbs,static "16.3.3.3.4.2 Byte strings [byte.strings]") is an ntbs with
static storage duration[.](#4.sentence-1)[140](#footnote-140 "A string-literal, such as &quot;abc&quot;, is a static ntbs.")

[139)](#footnote-139)[139)](#footnoteref-139)

Many of the objects manipulated by
function signatures declared in[<cstring>](cstring.syn#header:%3ccstring%3e "27.5.1 Header <cstring> synopsis [cstring.syn]") are character sequences or ntbss[.](#footnote-139.sentence-1)

The size of some of these character sequences is limited by
a length value, maintained separately from the character sequence[.](#footnote-139.sentence-2)

[140)](#footnote-140)[140)](#footnoteref-140)

A [*string-literal*](lex.string#nt:string-literal "5.13.5 String literals [lex.string]"), such as"abc",
is a static ntbs[.](#footnote-140.sentence-1)