[fpc-devel] Memory consumed by strings

[listmember]

Is there a way to determine how much memory is consumed by strings by a 
running application?

I'd like to know this, in particular, for FPC ana Lazarus --to begin with.

And, the reason I'd like to know this is this: Whenever I suggest that 
char size be increased to 4, the idea gets opposed on the grouds that it 
will need huge memory --4 times as much.

There's of course some merit in that arguement, but I have no idea what 
it is '4 times' of.

This is not very engineer-like --it being unmeasured.

Can anyone suggest a way to measure the memory load caused by strings?