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A language with an array type, e.g. Java, distinguishes between a 'null' array reference and an array of zero length. which could substitute in languages that don't have an option type; SOME([]) vs NONE

But a plain *char in C makes no such distinction.

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There is a difference. An empty string in C is a non-null char* pointer pointing to a zero byte. Passing a null pointer to strlen will crash.

A zero-length array can't ever be a valid cstring at all since they have to be null terminated. I don't think that is actually relevant to the claim you are replying to, which is about arrays and pointers and not strings.

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