# c_char in rustix::ffi - Rust
Equivalent to C’s `char` type.
Keywords: rust, rustlang, rust-lang, c_char

# Type Definition rustix::ffi::c_char

1.1.0 · source · [−]

    pub type c_char = i8;

Expand description

Equivalent to C’s `char` type.

C’s `char` type is completely unlike Rust’s `char` type; while Rust’s type represents a unicode scalar value, C’s `char` type is just an ordinary integer. On modern architectures this type will always be either `i8` or `u8`, as they use byte-addresses memory with 8-bit bytes.

C chars are most commonly used to make C strings. Unlike Rust, where the length of a string is included alongside the string, C strings mark the end of a string with the character `'\0'`. See `CStr` for more information.