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Simple Dynamic Strings library for C

Screenshot of github.com captured 2026-07-20
Page preview · captured 2026-07-20

Resurfaced independently across 6 calendar years, with breakout response in 3 of them.

submissions
6
submitters
6
observed span
2014–2025
peak thread · 127 comments
214 pts
latest 20+ return · 2025-08-25
111 pts

Submission timeline

2007–2026

One slot for every year since HN launched. Height is that year's peak points; orange marks a 100+ point or 50+ comment breakout. Select a bar to open its strongest thread.

First comments on top threads

HN comment order

I think the library is great, and don't have a whole lot to say about it, but wanted to mention one tangentially related thing: The README on this repo is awesome. Opening up with advantages and disadvantages? Awesome. Plenty of code examples covering all of the major use cases? Awesome. Quick overview of the internals? AWESOME! Quick two line note about how to use the library in your project? Awesome. I'm tempted to rant about how I wish documentation was…

dmunoz·214-point thread·

I'm surprised this is aliased to char*, not const char*. The benefit of the aliasing is convenience, but the main risk is absent-mindedly passing it to a libc function that modifies the string without updating the SDS metadata. Const would result in a compiler warning while letting the intended use cases (e.g., the printf example) work fine.

xenotux·111-point thread·

Hi, author here. May make sense to make SDS in perspective given a few comments I'm reading here. 1. Yep, more than "strings" SDS may be consider a library for dynamic buffers, especially from people coming from C++ or higher level languages. However I think that for C, it makes sense to provide a very low level thing like that. 2. In practice, if you see how SDS is used (extensively) inside Redis, it normally models things where you would…

antirez·107-point thread·

The first top-level comment from each of the four biggest threads, in HN’s own order. Excerpts are shortened; open a comment for full context.

Breakout years
3

100+ points or 50+ comments

Total points
438

reference only — not used in Hall rules or ranking

Total comments
257

reference only — not used in Hall rules or ranking

Every submission

DateTitle as submittedByPointsComments
2014-02-06Simple Dynamic Strings library for CFirst breakout · Best threadantirez214127
2017-01-03Simple Dynamic StringsAnilm310
2018-10-03Simple Dynamic Strings library for Cstriking20
2019-12-03Simple Dynamic Strings library for C, compatible with null-terminated stringspcr91030310783
2021-06-22Simple Dynamic Strings library for CHall inductionscapbi30
2025-08-25SDS: Simple Dynamic Strings library for CLatest 20+ point returnklaussilveira11147