Fix empty strings.

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ Enhancements
 * `Engine::consume_XXX` methods are renamed to `Engine::run_XXX` to make meanings clearer. The `consume_XXX` API is deprecated.
 * `Engine::register_type_XXX` are now available even under `no_object`.
 * Added `Engine::on_parse_token` to allow remapping certain tokens during parsing.
+* Added `Engine::const_empty_string` to merge empty strings into a single instance.
 
 ### Custom Syntax
 

src/engine.rs

@@ -1092,9 +1092,12 @@ impl Engine {
     }
 
     /// Get an empty [`ImmutableString`].
+    ///
+    /// [`Engine`] keeps a single instance of an empty [`ImmutableString`] and uses this to create
+    /// shared instances for subsequent uses. This minimizes unnecessary allocations for empty strings.
     #[inline(always)]
     #[must_use]
-    pub fn empty_string(&self) -> ImmutableString {
+    pub fn const_empty_string(&self) -> ImmutableString {
         self.constants.empty_string.clone()
     }
 
@@ -2087,7 +2090,7 @@ impl Engine {
             // `... ${...} ...`
             Expr::InterpolatedString(x, pos) => {
                 let mut pos = *pos;
-                let mut result: Dynamic = self.empty_string().clone().into();
+                let mut result: Dynamic = self.const_empty_string().clone().into();
 
                 for expr in x.iter() {
                     let item = self.eval_expr(scope, mods, state, lib, this_ptr, expr, level)?;
@@ -3042,7 +3045,7 @@ impl Engine {
             // Concentrate all empty strings into one instance to save memory
             #[cfg(not(feature = "no_closure"))]
             Ok(r) if !r.is_shared() && r.as_str_ref().map_or(false, &str::is_empty) => {
-                Ok(self.empty_string().into())
+                Ok(self.const_empty_string().into())
             }
             // Check data sizes
             #[cfg(not(feature = "unchecked"))]

src/optimize.rs

@@ -822,7 +822,7 @@ fn optimize_expr(expr: &mut Expr, state: &mut OptimizerState, chaining: bool) {
         // ``
         Expr::InterpolatedString(x, pos) if x.is_empty() => {
             state.set_dirty();
-            *expr = Expr::StringConstant(state.engine.empty_string().clone(), *pos);
+            *expr = Expr::StringConstant(state.engine.const_empty_string().clone(), *pos);
         }
         // `...`
         Expr::InterpolatedString(x, _) if x.len() == 1 && matches!(x[0], Expr::StringConstant(_, _)) => {

src/packages/string_more.rs

@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ mod string_functions {
         len: INT,
     ) -> ImmutableString {
         if string.is_empty() || len <= 0 {
-            return ctx.engine().empty_string().clone();
+            return ctx.engine().const_empty_string();
         }
 
         let mut chars = StaticVec::<char>::with_capacity(len as usize);
@@ -305,13 +305,13 @@ mod string_functions {
         len: INT,
     ) -> ImmutableString {
         if string.is_empty() {
-            return ctx.engine().empty_string().clone();
+            return ctx.engine().const_empty_string();
         }
 
         let mut chars = StaticVec::with_capacity(string.len());
 
         let offset = if string.is_empty() || len <= 0 {
-            return ctx.engine().empty_string().clone();
+            return ctx.engine().const_empty_string();
         } else if start < 0 {
             if let Some(n) = start.checked_abs() {
                 chars.extend(string.chars());
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ mod string_functions {
                 0
             }
         } else if start as usize >= string.chars().count() {
-            return ctx.engine().empty_string().clone();
+            return ctx.engine().const_empty_string();
         } else {
             start as usize
         };
@@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ mod string_functions {
         start: INT,
     ) -> ImmutableString {
         if string.is_empty() {
-            ctx.engine().empty_string().clone()
+            ctx.engine().const_empty_string()
         } else {
             let len = string.len() as INT;
             sub_string(ctx, string, start, len)
@@ -571,14 +571,14 @@ mod string_functions {
                 if let Some(n) = start.checked_abs() {
                     let num_chars = string.chars().count();
                     if n as usize > num_chars {
-                        vec![ctx.engine().empty_string().clone().into(), string.into()]
+                        vec![ctx.engine().const_empty_string().into(), string.into()]
                     } else {
                         let prefix: String = string.chars().take(num_chars - n as usize).collect();
                         let prefix_len = prefix.len();
                         vec![prefix.into(), string[prefix_len..].into()]
                     }
                 } else {
-                    vec![ctx.engine().empty_string().clone().into(), string.into()]
+                    vec![ctx.engine().const_empty_string().into(), string.into()]
                 }
             } else {
                 let prefix: String = string.chars().take(start as usize).collect();