Add constructor ArrayString::from_byte_string(b"abc")

This is an alternative constructor that never has capacity errors.
Unfortunately the error case is invalid UTF-8!

src/array.rs

@@ -19,6 +19,19 @@ pub trait Index : PartialEq + Copy {
     fn from(usize) -> Self;
 }
 
+use std::slice::{from_raw_parts};
+
+pub trait ArrayExt : Array {
+    #[inline(always)]
+    fn as_slice(&self) -> &[Self::Item] {
+        unsafe {
+            from_raw_parts(self.as_ptr(), Self::capacity())
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl<A> ArrayExt for A where A: Array { }
+
 #[cfg(feature = "use_generic_array")]
 unsafe impl<T, U> Array for ::generic_array::GenericArray<T, U>
     where U: ::generic_array::ArrayLength<T>

src/array_string.rs

@@ -5,9 +5,10 @@ use std::mem;
 use std::ptr;
 use std::ops::{Deref, DerefMut};
 use std::str;
+use std::str::Utf8Error;
 use std::slice;
 
-use array::Array;
+use array::{Array, ArrayExt};
 use array::Index;
 use CapacityError;
 use odds::char::encode_utf8;
@@ -67,6 +68,23 @@ impl<A: Array<Item=u8>> ArrayString<A> {
         Ok(arraystr)
     }
 
+    /// Create a new `ArrayString` from a byte string literal.
+    ///
+    /// **Errors** if the byte string literal is not valid UTF-8.
+    ///
+    /// ```
+    /// use arrayvec::ArrayString;
+    ///
+    /// let string = ArrayString::from_byte_string(b"hello world").unwrap();
+    /// ```
+    pub fn from_byte_string(b: &A) -> Result<Self, Utf8Error> {
+        let mut arraystr = Self::new();
+        let s = try!(str::from_utf8(b.as_slice()));
+        let _result = arraystr.push_str(s);
+        debug_assert!(_result.is_ok());
+        Ok(arraystr)
+    }
+
     /// Return the capacity of the `ArrayString`.
     ///
     /// ```

tests/tests.rs

@@ -346,6 +346,14 @@ fn test_string_from() {
     assert_eq!(u.len(), text.len());
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn test_string_from_bytes() {
+    let text = "hello world";
+    let u = ArrayString::from_byte_string(b"hello world").unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(&u, text);
+    assert_eq!(u.len(), text.len());
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn test_string_clone() {
     let text = "hi";