With c++ you can use strings.h (or sting.h on some people's computers) to allow you to create string variables with much more ease than a char array of 255 chars.
When including strings.h you can...
string mystring;
very simply, and testing is simply If(mystring=="mystring")
As opposed to
char mystring[255];
where testing is done by: If(strcmp(mystring,"mystring")==0)
Are there any downs to using the first way? Isn't it more logical? =)