The & in &str is like the & in &[u8], str is like [u8] (an unsized type), not like u8. A &str is a "fat pointer" (pointer + length), unlike &u8 which is a regul

The & in &str is like the & in &[u8], str is like [u8] (an unsized type), not like u8. A &str is a "fat pointer" (pointer + length), unlike &u8 which is a regular "thin" pointer.