From b50119031f1b1b4935a20837ae931f0cc0f1167e Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Arslaan Pathan <arslaan@arslaancodes.com>
Date: Sun, 4 Oct 2026 19:48:30 +1300
Subject: Match the proper string format for compiler (IT WORKS
 YEAHHHHHHHHHHHH)

---
 include/Paradox/String.h | 22 +++++++++++++++++++---
 src/String.m             | 25 +++++++++++++++++--------
 tests/String.m           |  7 ++++++-
 3 files changed, 42 insertions(+), 12 deletions(-)

diff --git a/include/Paradox/String.h b/include/Paradox/String.h
index ddb2261..1cbc53f 100644
--- a/include/Paradox/String.h
+++ b/include/Paradox/String.h
@@ -5,9 +5,25 @@
 #include <objc/runtime.h>
 #include <Paradox/Object.h>
 
+#define PXStringFlagOwned 0x00010000
+
 @interface PXString : PXObject {
-	char *_bytes;
-	size_t _length;
+	/* old declaration did not conform to the API or some shit */
+	/*char *_bytes;
+	size_t _length;*/
+
+	/* flags. currently only low 2 bits are used for encoding
+	 * values:
+	 * 0. ASCII (utf-8 but 7bit chars)
+	 * 1. UTF-8 
+	 * 2. UTF-16 
+	 * 3. UTF-32
+	 */
+	uint32_t flags;
+	uint32_t len;  // num of UTF-16 code units
+	uint32_t size;  // num of bytes
+	uint32_t hash;
+	char *_bytes;  // as per ABI it's `const char * const _bytes;` when compiler-generated but too bad
 }
 
 /* init/lifecycle */
@@ -16,7 +32,7 @@
 
 /* getters */
 - (const char *)UTF8String;
-- (size_t)length;
+- (uint32_t)length;
 - (BOOL)isEqual:(PXString *)string;
 
 @end
diff --git a/src/String.m b/src/String.m
index 7d5d4d8..cc91745 100644
--- a/src/String.m
+++ b/src/String.m
@@ -25,15 +25,24 @@
 		if (cstring == NULL)
 			cstring = "";
 
-		_length = strlen(cstring);
-		_bytes = malloc(_length + 1);
-		memcpy(_bytes, cstring, _length + 1);
+		size_t length = strlen(cstring);
+
+		flags = 0;  // ASCII
+		flags |= PXStringFlagOwned;  // OUR string (not compiler's)
+		len = (uint32_t)length;
+		size = (uint32_t)length;
+		hash = 0;  // implement hashes later
+
+		_bytes = malloc(length + 1);
+		memcpy((char *)_bytes, cstring, length + 1);
 	}
 	return self;
 }
 
 - (void)dealloc {
-	free(_bytes);
+	if (flags & PXStringFlagOwned)
+		free((void *)_bytes);
+
 	[super dealloc];
 }
 
@@ -42,18 +51,18 @@
 	return _bytes;
 }
 
-- (size_t)length {
-	return _length;
+- (uint32_t)length {
+	return len;
 }
 
 - (BOOL)isEqual:(PXString *)string {
 	if (self == string)
 		return YES;
 
-	if (string == nil || _length != string->_length)
+	if (string == nil || len != string->len)
 		return NO;
 
-	return (memcmp(_bytes, string->_bytes, _length) == 0);
+	return (memcmp(_bytes, string->_bytes, size) == 0);
 }
 
 @end
diff --git a/tests/String.m b/tests/String.m
index 18a3825..1726f0d 100644
--- a/tests/String.m
+++ b/tests/String.m
@@ -5,5 +5,10 @@ int main(void) {
 	printf("PXString test\n");
 	PXString *string = @"Low taper fade";
 	printf("string UTF8String = %s\n", [string UTF8String]);
-	[string release];
+	printf("string length = %d\n", [string length]);
+	PXString *string2 = @"Locked In Alien"; 
+	PXString *string3 = @"Low taper fade";
+	printf("string isEqual:string2 = %s\n", [string isEqual:string2] ? "YES" : "NO");
+	printf("string isEqual:string3 = %s\n", [string isEqual:string3] ? "YES" : "NO");
+	printf("test complete\n");
 }
-- 
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