Flash String Helper object as variable

Question

So I have a Bunch of commonly used char arrays to build commands in my library. So to preserve memory, I have them put into flash, via PROGMEM ext,

typedef const char PROGMEM ProgChar;
ProgChar AT[] = "AT";
ProgChar AT_RST[] = "RST";

Then in my program I have it all go out to A port via:

*hws << AT << PLUS << CWMODE << EQUAL; //hws can be any Print type,

This is handled by overloading the << operator;

static Print &operator <<(Print &obj, ProgChar* arg) { 
 char pbuffbuffer[12]; //create a buffer,
 obj.print(loadProgmemVal(arg,pbuffbuffer)); //Load it, and then pass to obj print method.
 return obj; 
}

But this also overloads the << operator for all const char* Which makes me have to do a workaround:

hws->print(1); //HACK

At first, I thought I would overload the operator to handle both a char* and a Prog Char Object, But unfortunately, they are both treated as the same thing at run-time which makes that idea useless.

So after snooping I find the __FlashStringHelper type and macro. Which would allow me to have a sepperate type for these variables, and allow me to overload.

But the problem is, I cant find a good way to Create these:

const __FlashStringHelper MYVAR = F("Some text to be progchared");

Does not compile =/

Now I could probably make some helper method to load them all in, but that is just patching a hack with another hack... Is there any Clean way to do this? So I can use << for all types,

*hws << AT << PLUS << CWMODE << EQUAL << 1 << "\r\n"; //1 and Return break...

• Steven Venham: Idea: Is the objects in Flash at a lower PTR value then Objects in Ram, and ifso, what is then cutoff? EG: 0-04f00 = Flash 04f01-fffff = Ram, ext.
• Mikael Patel: Seems like the recommended style is to use the macro FPSTR(). arduino-esp8266.readthedocs.io/en/latest/PROGMEM.html static const char xyz[] PROGMEM = "This is a string stored in flash"; Serial.println(FPSTR(xyz));

Answer 1

Is this legal?

typedef const char ProgChar;
ProgChar AT[] = "AT";

I would think that the PROGMEM can't be in the typedef, i.e.:

typedef const char ProgChar;
ProgChar AT[] PROGMEM = "AT";

• JRobert: If you meant "Is typedef const char PROGMEM ProgChar; ProgChar AT[] = "AT";", legal then apparently it is. typedef const char PROGMEM ProgChar; ProgChar AT[] = "AT"; void setup() { Serial.begin(115200); Serial.println((const __FlashStringHelper *)&AT[0]); } void loop() { ; } compiles, runs, and produces the expected output.