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varString

varString = 256

Example​

function HasPascalByteString(const Value: Variant): Boolean;
begin
  Result := (VarType(Value) and varTypeMask) = varString;
end;

Usage​

varString identifies a Velox-managed RawByteString Variant that is reference-counted and explicitly not OLE Automation compatible.

Additional Technical Info​

varString is the base TVarType code $0100 for Delphi-managed RawByteString/legacy ANSI string storage. It is reference-counted and explicitly not OLE Automation compatible.

On the current Unicode Delphi target, an ordinary script String Variant normally uses varUString. varString can still arrive from ANSI/native libraries, older data paths or explicit RawByteString values.

Encoding and ownership

  • The payload is bytes plus Delphi string metadata/code-page context. It is not automatically UTF-8 and is not safe to treat as opaque binary when text conversion may occur.
  • Conversion to varUString or varOleStr decodes and allocates; a wrong/missing source code page can corrupt characters.
  • Assignment shares managed storage until copy-on-write behavior requires a new buffer; clearing releases a reference.
  • A varByRef form borrows an external string slot and has separate lifetime risk.

Delphi VarArrayCreate rejects varString as a fixed Automation array element. Use varOleStr for a string SAFEARRAY or varVariant elements when mixed Variant strings are required.

VarAsType can request the base tag for a supported conversion, but do so only with a governed encoding. VarType performs no decoding.

The example is source-reviewed only; no string was converted or copied.

External references

Created 2026-07-15