gistfile1.txt

numStrings = 10                    -- for example, lets do 10, but this number can be anything upto memory limits
maxStringLength = 100          -- this has to be predetermined

-- allocate CharTensor
bigStringTensor = torch.CharTensor(numStrings, maxStringLength)
bst_data=torch.data(bigStringTensor)        -- raw C pointer using torchffi

-- load some strings into the stringTensor
str='hello world'

-- write strings to tensor
for i=1,bigStringTensor:size(1) do
      local stri = str .. ' ' .. i
      ffi.copy(bst_data + ((i-1) * maxStringLength), stri)
end

-- read back data gotcha (torchffi seems to always return the parent tensor's data pointer)
for i=1,bigStringTensor:size(1) do
      print(ffi.string(torch.data(bigStringTensor[i])))
end

-- read back properly
for i=1,bigStringTensor:size(1) do
      print(ffi.string(bst_data + ((i-1) * maxStringLength)))
end