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I was previously told not to use String in ink! contracts.
Right now I'm using Vec<u8> to represent strings, but I'm still feeling a bit unsure if I'm on the right path, mainly because:
Vec<u8> on some message interface, polkadot-js allows me to upload a file, which feels very wrongwhich type is best suited to represent strings in a contract?
If you really need a String in your contract then you should use a String type. That is the correct way to do it.
However, using strings in contracts can be considered an anti pattern. Strings are for human consumption and anything user facing should be placed in UI code.
they're unbounded, which can lead to undefined behavior
They are not "more" unbounded as a String. Please note that this can not lead to undefined behavior in a contract. At some point you will hit a limit (memory allotted to your contract, gas limit) and this is completely deterministic.
String is the way to go. Maybe accept this answer and ask a new question specifically about whether text handling is the right thing to do in your case.
Mar 24, 2022 at 9:24