Why don't the std::fstream classes take a std::string?

Question

This isn\'t a design question, really, though it may seem like it. (Well, okay, it\'s kind of a design question). What I\'m wondering is why the C++ std::fstream

Answer 1

C++ grew up on smaller machines than the monsters we write code for today. Back when iostream was new many developers really cared about code size (they had to fit their entire program and data into several hundred KB). Therefore, many didn't want to pull in the "big" C++ string library. Many didn't even use the iostream library for the same reasons, code size.

We didn't have thousands of megabytes of RAM to throw around like we do today. We usually didn't have function level linking so we were at the mercy of the developer of the library to use a lot of separate object files or else pull in tons of uncalled code. All of this FUD made developers steer away from std::string.

Back then I avoided std::string too. "Too bloated", "called malloc too often", etc. Foolishly using stack-based buffers for strings, then adding all kinds of tedious code to make sure it doesn't overrun.