Thanks folks! I've got a handle on efficient pritning of strings now in CCS:

I wrote a program with 3 writes of a string to the serial port (and some
other activity) , and raced them:

with printf("Some Text")        396 bytes ROM
using strcpy(array, "Some Text"); printf(array);   370 Bytes ROM
using strcpy(array, "Some Text"); putstring(array)  339 bytes ROM.

Each additional instance of PrintF("text") seems to add a massive amount of
wasted memory as compared to printf(array) or putstring(array).


Conclusions:

1. Printf is not very efficient.
2. strcpy(array,"text") is a handy way of stuffing a line of text into an
array for later printing and
3. The following routines putstring() and PutLCD are more efficient than
Printf at sending a string to an RS232 port.


I added these two routines to my string.H file for future reference
putstring() and PutLCD()

// Putstring is much more efficient than printf  (with thanks to Bob
Ammerman!!)
// for  printing text strings to a serial LCD for example.
// You must declare an array of characters like this:
// char array[16];
// or whatever size then call by stating
//   strcpy(array,"This Text!");
//        putstring(array);

void putstring(char  *p)
{
      while (*p){
         putchar(*p++);}
}


///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
//// PutLCD will also optionally clear or home the Scott Edwards LCD screen
before printing
// useful defines would be:
//  #define ClearLCD  1
//  #Define ToLine1LCD  2
//  #Define ToLine2LCD 3

// Example:
// char array[16];
//  strcpy(array, "print THIS!");
// putLCD(array, ToLine1LCD);


void putLCD(Char *P, int setting){

putc(0xFE); // escape character
switch setting{
 Case 0:
 break;
 Case 1:
  putc(0x01); // clear screen command
  delay_ms(1); // delay becuase screen is disabled 1 ms
 break;
 Case 2:

  putc(0x80);  // goto line 1
 break;

 Case 3:

  putC(0xC0); // Goto line 2
 break;

}
      while (*p){
         putchar(*p++);}
 }

}

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