c++ - When would you use an array rather than a vector/string?

Question

I'm a beginner C++ programmer and so I've learnt using arrays rather than vectors (this seems to be the general way to do things, then move on to vectors later on).

I've noticed that a lot of answers on SO suggest using vectors over arrays, and strings over char arrays. It seems that this is the "proper" way to code in C++.

That all being said, when is it still worth using a classic array/char* (if ever)?

Answer 1

When writing code that should used in other projects, in particular if you target special platforms (embedded, game consoles, etc.) where STL might not be present.

Old projects or projects with special requirements might not want to introduce dependencies on STL libraries. An interface depending on arrays, char* or whatever will be compatible with anything since it's part of the language. STL however is not guaranteed to be present in all build environments.