title: Benefits of vector<char> over string?
body: <p>This question is related to, but not quite the same as, <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/q/1556229/541686">this question</a>.</p>
  
  <p>Are there any benefits to using <code>std::vector&lt;char&gt;</code> instead of <code>std::string</code> to hold arbitrary binary data, <strong>aside</strong> from readability-related issues?</p>
  
  <p>i.e. Are there any tasks which are easier/more efficient/better to perform with a vector compared to a string?</p>