NAME

       STRCASE, strcase, strcase_tolower - Multiway branch (switch) for short strings

SYNOPSIS

       #include <strcase.h>
       STRCASE(...)
       static inline uint64_t strcase(const char *s);
       static inline uint64_t strcase_tolower(const char *s);

DESCRIPTION

       strcase.h provides two inline functions strcase, strcase_tolower  and a macro STRCASE, all
       of them convert a string in a uint64_t integer value. Only  the  first  8  characters  are
       significative.

       strcase_tolower  works  like  strcase  but  it  converts uppercase letters as if they were
       lowercase.

       strcase or strcase_tolower can be used in the expression of a switch statement to  convert
       a  string  to an integer type, STRCASE generates at compile time the integer constants for
       the case stanzas of the switch.

       Actually STRCASE (C language):

       *  requires the string to be specified as comma separated characters,

       *  supports "strings" using only literals, digits and underscore. Other symbols can appear
          using their name, as in:
          STRCASE(slash, e, t, c)

       Regardless  of  its  limitations  this  macro  library  is  quite  useful  to write switch
       statements in C language using strings (almost) as if it were integers (as in the  example
       below).   Although  STRCASE  needs commas between characters the string is still readable,
       and it is simple to add cases or change the tags.

       When the string contains only one char, the value of strcase is the code of the  character
       (e.g. the value of strcase("a") as well as the value of STRCASE(a) is 'a')

       Strcase is a portable alternative to multi-character constants in C.

       Strcase is available for C++ users, too. STRCASE argument in C++ is a short string.

EXAMPLE

       The following C program shows the use of strcase:

            #include <stdio.h>
            #include <strcase.h>

            int yes_or_not(const char *s) {
              switch (strcase_tolower(s)) {
                case STRCASE(y,e,s):
                case 'y':
                    return 1;
                case STRCASE(n,o):
                case 'n':
                    return 0;
                default:
                    return -1;
              }
            }

            int main(int argc,char *argv[]) {
              for(argc--, argv++; argc > 0; argc--, argv++)
                printf("%s %d\n", *argv, yes_or_not(*argv));
            }

       The same example can be translated in C++ as follows:

            #include <iostream>
            #include <strcase.h>

            using namespace std;

            int yes_or_not(const char *s) {
              switch (strcase_tolower(s)) {
                case STRCASE("yes"):
                case 'y':
                    return 1;
                case STRCASE("no"):
                case 'n':
                    return 0;
                default:
                    return -1;
              }
            }

            int main(int argc,char *argv[]) {
              for(argc--, argv++; argc > 0; argc--, argv++)
                cout << *argv << " " << yes_or_not(*argv) << endl;
            }

BUGS

       Bug reports should be addressed to <info@virtualsquare.org>

AUTHORS

       Renzo Davoli <renzo@cs.unibo.it>