added new chapter on str len

.vscode/settings.json

@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 		"simm",
 		"smaddl",
 		"stringstream",
+		"strlen",
 		"strncpy",
 		"struct",
 		"structs"
@@ -39,6 +40,8 @@
 		"ndless",
 		"ndmore",
 		"rotypo",
-		"rwtypo"
+		"rwtypo",
+		"slen",
+		"ssize"
 	]
 }

README.md

@@ -90,6 +90,10 @@ the 64 bit ARM Instruction Set Architecture (ISA).
 
 ## Section 3 - More Stuff
 
+| Chapter | Content |
+| ------- | ------- |
+| --- | [Determing string length for C functions](./more/strlen_for_c/README.md) |
+
 ## Projects
 
 [Here](./projects/README.md) are some project specifications to offer a challenge to your growing mastery.

more/strlen_for_c/README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+# Determining the Length of Strings for C Functions
+
+C string have no soul, is something I like to tell my students. Unlike
+C++ strings, you can't ask them to tell you how long they are. Instead
+you must use another function such as `strlen()`.
+
+When a string is fixed within your assembly code, you can let the
+assembler itself calculate the length for you.
+
+Here is an example of a C function that requires you to specify a
+string's length:
+
+```c
+write(1, "Hello, World!\n", 14);
+```
+
+This sends the familiar string to `stdout`.
+
+In assembly language, the string would have been placed in a `.data`
+section using the `.asciz` directive. But! How to get the length of the
+string? You could:
+
+* hard code the length as I did above, or
+
+* go through the effort of calling `strlen()`
+
+There is a third option as demonstrated by the
+[following program](./str_length.s):
+
+```text
+        .global        main                                             // 1 
+        .align         2                                                // 2 
+        .text                                                           // 3 
+                                                                        // 4 
+main:    str           x30, [sp, -16]!                                  // 5 
+        mov            w0, 1             // stdout                      // 6 
+        ldr            x1, =s            // pointer to string           // 7 
+        ldr            x2, =ssize        // pointer to computed length  // 8 
+        ldr            w2, [x2]          // actual length of string     // 9 
+        bl             write                                            // 10 
+                                                                        // 11 
+        ldr            x0, =fmt                                         // 12 
+        ldr            x1, =s                                           // 13 
+        ldr            x2, =ssize                                       // 14 
+        ldr            w2, [x2]                                         // 15 
+        bl             printf                                           // 16 
+                                                                        // 17 
+        ldr            x30, [sp], 16                                    // 18 
+        mov            w0, wzr                                          // 19 
+        ret                                                             // 20 
+                                                                        // 21 
+        .data                                                           // 22 
+                                                                        // 23 
+s:      .asciz         "Hello, World!\n"                                // 24 
+ssize:  .word          ssize - s - 1        // accounts for null at end // 25 
+fmt:    .asciz         "str: %slen: %d\n"   // accounts for newline     // 26 
+                                                                        // 27 
+        .end                                                            // 28 
+```
+
+`Line 24` contains the string. It is null terminated.
+
+`Line 25` is the new learning. The assembler calculates the difference
+between the address of `s` and the address of `ssize` and puts it at the
+location of `ssize`. Then, it is used on `Lines 8` and `9` like any
+other statically stored data.
+
+Here is the output of the program:
+
+```text
+Hello, World!
+str: Hello, World!
+len: 14
+```

more/strlen_for_c/str_length.s

@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+		.global		main
+		.align		2
+		.text
+
+main:	str			x30, [sp, -16]!
+		mov			w0, 1				// stdout
+		ldr			x1, =s 				// pointer to string
+		ldr			x2, =ssize			// pointer to computed length
+		ldr			w2, [x2]			// actual length of string
+		bl			write
+
+		ldr			x0, =fmt
+		ldr			x1, =s 
+		ldr 		x2, =ssize 
+		ldr 		w2, [x2]
+		bl			printf
+
+		ldr			x30, [sp], 16
+		mov			w0, wzr
+		ret
+
+		.data
+
+s:		.asciz		"Hello, World!\n"
+ssize:	.word		ssize - s - 1		// accounts for null at end
+fmt:	.asciz		"str: %slen: %d\n"	// accounts for newline
+
+		.end