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# SbName Class Reference
[Base classes]

`#include <Inventor/SbName.h>`

List of all members.

## Detailed Description

The SbName class stores strings by reference.

The class is used by Coin for storing keywords, names and other strings. They are stored in a manner where identical strings are guaranteed to map to the same memory address (as returned by the SbName::getString() method).

The main advantage of storing identical strings to the same memory address is that it simplifies comparison operations, and particularly when working with string data as keys in other data structures, like e.g. in hash (dictionary) tables.

Apart from that, mapping identical strings to the same memory address can also save on memory resources, and provide run-time optimizations. String comparisons for SbName objects are very efficient, for instance.

There is an aspect of using SbName instances that it is important to be aware of: since strings are stored permanently, using SbName instances in code where there is continually changing strings or the continual addition of new unique strings will in the end swamp memory resources. So where possible, use SbString instances instead.

See also:
  SbString

## Public Member Functions
| SbName (void)
| SbName (const char *nameString)
| SbName (const SbString &str)
| SbName (const SbName &name)
| ~SbName (void)
const char * | getString (void) const
int | getLength (void) const
int | operator! (void) const
| operator const char * (void) const
## Static Public Member Functions
SbBool | isIdentStartChar (const char c)
SbBool | isIdentChar (const char c)
SbBool | isBaseNameStartChar (const char c)
SbBool | isBaseNameChar (const char c)
## Friends
int | operator== (const SbName &lhs, const char *rhs)
int | operator== (const char *lhs, const SbName &rhs)
int | operator== (const SbName &lhs, const SbName &rhs)
int | operator!= (const SbName &lhs, const char *rhs)
int | operator!= (const char *lhs, const SbName &rhs)
int | operator!= (const SbName &lhs, const SbName &rhs)

## Constructor & Destructor Documentation

SbName::SbName | ( | void |  | ) |

| This is the default constructor.

SbName::SbName | ( | const char * | nameString | ) |

| Constructor. Adds the nameString string to the name table.

SbName::SbName | ( | const SbString & | str | ) |

| Constructor. Adds str to the name table.

SbName::SbName | ( | const SbName & | name | ) |

| Copy constructor.

SbName::~SbName | ( | void |  | ) |

| The destructor.

## Member Function Documentation

const char * SbName::getString | ( | void |  | ) | const

| This method returns pointer to character array for the name. The returned memory pointer for the character string is guaranteed to be valid for the remaining life time of the process, even after all SbName instances referencing the string has been destructed.

int SbName::getLength | ( | void |  | ) | const

| This method returns the number of characters in the name.

SbBool SbName::isIdentStartChar | ( | const char | c | ) | `[static]`

| This method checks if the c character is a valid identifier start character for a name. See also: SbBool SbName::isIdentChar(const char c)

SbBool SbName::isIdentChar | ( | const char | c | ) | `[static]`

| This method checks if the c character is a valid character for a name. See also: SbBool SbName::isIdentStartChar(const char c)

SbBool SbName::isBaseNameStartChar | ( | const char | c | ) | `[static]`

| Returns `TRUE` if the given character is valid for use as the first character of a name for an object derived from a class inheriting SoBase. SoBase derived objects needs to be named in a manner which will not clash with the special characters reserved as tokens in the syntax rules of Open Inventor and VRML files. This method is not part of the original Open Inventor API. See also: isBaseNameChar()

SbBool SbName::isBaseNameChar | ( | const char | c | ) | `[static]`

| Returns `TRUE` if the given character is valid for use in naming object instances of classes derived from SoBase. SoBase derived objects needs to be named in a manner which will not clash with the special characters reserved as tokens in the syntax rules of Open Inventor and VRML files. This method is not part of the original Open Inventor API. See also: isBaseNameStartChar()

int SbName::operator! | ( | void |  | ) | const

| This unary operator results in `FALSE` if the SbName object is non-empty and `TRUE` if the SbName object is empty. An empty name contains a null-length string.

SbName::operator const char * | ( | void |  | ) | const

| This operator returns a pointer to the character array for the name string. It is intended for implicit use. Use SbName::getString() explicitly instead of this operator - it might be removed later. See also: const char * SbName::getString(void)

## Friends And Related Function Documentation

int operator== | ( | const SbName & | lhs,
|  | const char * | rhs
| ) | `[friend]`

| This operator checks for equality and returns TRUE if so, and FALSE otherwise.

int operator== | ( | const char * | lhs,
|  | const SbName & | rhs
| ) | `[friend]`

| This operator checks for equality and returns TRUE if so, and FALSE otherwise.

int operator== | ( | const SbName & | lhs,
|  | const SbName & | rhs
| ) | `[friend]`

| This operator checks for equality and returns TRUE if so, and FALSE otherwise.

int operator!= | ( | const SbName & | lhs,
|  | const char * | rhs
| ) | `[friend]`

| This operator checks for inequality and returns TRUE if so, and FALSE if the names are equal.

int operator!= | ( | const char * | lhs,
|  | const SbName & | rhs
| ) | `[friend]`

| This operator checks for inequality and returns TRUE if so, and FALSE if the names are equal.

int operator!= | ( | const SbName & | lhs,
|  | const SbName & | rhs
| ) | `[friend]`

| This operator checks for inequality and returns TRUE if so, and FALSE if the names are equal.

The documentation for this class was generated from the following files:

- SbName.h
- SbName.cpp