Feat: stdlib: adds system.string.setLenUninit

- Required for a followup to #15951
- Accompanies #19727 but for strings

+ `sysstr` housekeeping:
  - Removed redundant `len` and `reserved` sets already
     performed by prior `rawNewStringNoInit`calls.

Author: ZoomRmc

changelog.md

@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ errors.
   to more efficiently calculate the symmetric difference of bitsets.
 - `strutils.multiReplace` overload for character set replacements in a single pass.
 	Useful for string sanitation. Follows existing multiReplace semantics.
+- `system.setLenUninit` for the `string` type. Allows setting length without initializing new memory on growth.
 
 - `std/files` adds:
   - Exports `CopyFlag` enum and `FilePermission` type for fine-grained control of file operations

lib/system.nim

@@ -2303,6 +2303,27 @@ when notJSnotNims and hasAlloc:
   when not defined(nimV2):
     include "system/repr"
 
+func setLenUninit*(s: var string, newlen: Natural) {.nodestroy.} =
+  ## Sets the length of string `s` to `newlen`.
+  ## New slots will not be initialized.
+  ##
+  ## If the new length is smaller than the new length,
+  ## `s` will be truncated.
+  let n = max(newLen, 0)
+  when nimvm:
+    s.setLen(n)
+  else:
+    when notJSnotNims:
+      when defined(nimSeqsV2):
+        {.noSideEffect.}:
+          let str = unsafeAddr s
+          setLengthStrV2Uninit(cast[ptr NimStringV2](str)[], newlen)
+      else:
+        {.noSideEffect.}:
+          setLengthStrUninit(s, newlen)
+    else: s.setLen(n)
+
+
 when notJSnotNims and hasThreadSupport and hostOS != "standalone":
   when not defined(nimPreviewSlimSystem):
     include "system/channels_builtin"

lib/system/strs_v2.nim

@@ -166,6 +166,26 @@ proc setLengthStrV2(s: var NimStringV2, newLen: int) {.compilerRtl.} =
     s.p.data[newLen] = '\0'
   s.len = newLen
 
+proc setLengthStrV2Uninit(s: var NimStringV2, newLen: int)  =
+  if newLen == 0:
+    discard "do not free the buffer here, pattern 's.setLen 0' is common for avoiding allocations"
+  else:
+    if isLiteral(s):
+      let oldP = s.p
+      s.p = allocPayload(newLen)
+      s.p.cap = newLen
+      if s.len > 0:
+        copyMem(unsafeAddr s.p.data[0], unsafeAddr oldP.data[0], min(s.len, newLen))
+      s.p.data[newLen] = '\0'
+    elif newLen > s.len:
+      let oldCap = s.p.cap and not strlitFlag
+      if newLen > oldCap:
+        let newCap = max(newLen, resize(oldCap))
+        s.p = reallocPayload0(s.p, oldCap, newCap)
+        s.p.cap = newCap
+    s.p.data[newLen] = '\0'
+  s.len = newLen
+
 proc nimAsgnStrV2(a: var NimStringV2, b: NimStringV2) {.compilerRtl.} =
   if a.p == b.p and a.len == b.len: return
   if isLiteral(b):

lib/system/sysstr.nim

@@ -156,7 +156,6 @@ proc addChar(s: NimString, c: char): NimString =
       result = rawNewStringNoInit(r)
       result.len = s.len
       copyMem(addr result.data[0], unsafeAddr(s.data[0]), s.len+1)
-      result.reserved = r
   result.data[result.len] = c
   result.data[result.len+1] = '\0'
   inc(result.len)
@@ -202,7 +201,6 @@ proc resizeString(dest: NimString, addlen: int): NimString {.compilerRtl.} =
     result = rawNewStringNoInit(sp)
     result.len = dest.len
     copyMem(addr result.data[0], unsafeAddr(dest.data[0]), dest.len+1)
-    result.reserved = sp
     #result = rawNewString(sp)
     #copyMem(result, dest, dest.len + sizeof(TGenericSeq))
     # DO NOT UPDATE LEN YET: dest.len = newLen
@@ -220,22 +218,42 @@ proc appendChar(dest: NimString, c: char) {.compilerproc, inline.} =
 proc setLengthStr(s: NimString, newLen: int): NimString {.compilerRtl.} =
   let n = max(newLen, 0)
   if s == nil:
-    if n == 0:
-      return s
-    else:
-      result = mnewString(n)
+    return if n == 0: s else: mnewString(n)
   elif n <= s.space:
     result = s
   else:
     let sp = max(resize(s.space), n)
     result = rawNewStringNoInit(sp)
-    result.len = s.len
     copyMem(addr result.data[0], unsafeAddr(s.data[0]), s.len)
     zeroMem(addr result.data[s.len], n - s.len)
-    result.reserved = sp
   result.len = n
   result.data[n] = '\0'
 
+proc setLengthStrUninit(s: var string, newlen: Natural) {.nodestroy.} =
+  ## Sets the `s` length to `newlen` without zeroing memory on growth.
+  ## Terminating zero for cstring compatibility is set.
+  var str = cast[NimString](s.unsafeAddr)
+  let n = max(newLen, 0)
+  if str == nil:
+    if n == 0: return
+    else:
+      str = rawNewStringNoInit(n)
+      str.data[n] = '\0'
+      str.len = n
+      s = cast[string](str)
+  else:
+    if n > str.space:
+      let sp = max(resize(str.space), n)
+      str = rawNewStringNoInit(sp)
+      copyMem(addr str.data[0], unsafeAddr s[0], s.len)
+      str.data[n] = '\0'
+      str.len = n
+      s = cast[string](str)
+    elif n < s.len:
+      str.data[n] = '\0'
+      str.len = n
+    else: return
+
 # ----------------- sequences ----------------------------------------------
 
 proc incrSeq(seq: PGenericSeq, elemSize, elemAlign: int): PGenericSeq {.compilerproc.} =

tests/stdlib/tstring.nim

@@ -120,5 +120,36 @@ proc main() =
       doAssert c.len == 0
       doAssert c.high == -1
 
+  block: # setLen #setLenUninit
+    proc checkStrInternals(s: string; expectedLen: int) =
+      doAssert s.len == expectedLen
+      when nimvm: discard
+      else:
+        when defined(UncheckedArray): # skip JS
+          let cs = s.cstring # allows to get data address without IndexDefect
+          let arr = cast[ptr UncheckedArray[char]](unsafeAddr cs[0])
+          doAssert arr[expectedLen] == '\0', "(no terminating zero)"
+
+    const numbers = "1234567890"
+    block setLen:
+      var s = numbers
+      s.setLen(0)
+      s.checkStrInternals(expectedLen = 0)
+      doAssert s == ""
+
+    block setLenUninit:
+      var s = numbers
+      s.setLenUninit(numbers.len) # noop
+      s.checkStrInternals(expectedLen = numbers.len)
+      doAssert s == numbers
+
+      s.setLenUninit(5) # trim
+      s.checkStrInternals(expectedLen = 5)
+      doAssert s == "12345"
+
+      s.setLenUninit(11) # growth
+      s.checkStrInternals(expectedLen = 11)
+      doAssert s[0..4] == numbers[0..4]
+
 static: main()
 main()