diff --git a/generator/codefactory.cpp b/generator/codefactory.cpp
index e947095..96b3398 100644
--- a/generator/codefactory.cpp
+++ b/generator/codefactory.cpp
@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@ CodeFactory::ToolInvocation::ToolInvocation(CodeFactory &factory)
  * \brief Constructs a new instance.
  * \remarks The specified arguments are not copied and must remain valid for the live-time of the code factory.
  */
-CodeFactory::CodeFactory(
-    const char *applicationPath, const std::vector<const char *> &sourceFiles, const std::vector<string> &clangOptions, std::ostream &os)
+CodeFactory::CodeFactory(std::string_view applicationPath, const std::vector<const char *> &sourceFiles,
+    const std::vector<std::string_view> &clangOptions, std::ostream &os)
     : m_applicationPath(applicationPath)
     , m_sourceFiles(sourceFiles)
     , m_clangOptions(clangOptions)
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ CodeFactory::~CodeFactory()
  */
 std::vector<string> CodeFactory::makeClangArgs() const
 {
-    static const initializer_list<const char *> flags
+    static const initializer_list<std::string_view> flags
         = { m_applicationPath, "-x", "c++", "-Wno-pragma-once-outside-header", "-std=c++14", "-fsyntax-only" };
     vector<string> clangArgs;
     clangArgs.reserve(flags.size() + m_clangOptions.size() + m_sourceFiles.size());
diff --git a/generator/codefactory.h b/generator/codefactory.h
index bc085ef..67f5654 100644
--- a/generator/codefactory.h
+++ b/generator/codefactory.h
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@ class CodeFactory {
     friend class Visitor;
 
 public:
-    CodeFactory(
-        const char *applicationPath, const std::vector<const char *> &sourceFiles, const std::vector<std::string> &clangOptions, std::ostream &os);
+    CodeFactory(std::string_view applicationPath, const std::vector<const char *> &sourceFiles, const std::vector<std::string_view> &clangOptions,
+        std::ostream &os);
     ~CodeFactory();
 
     const std::vector<std::unique_ptr<CodeGenerator>> &generators() const;
@@ -50,9 +50,9 @@ private:
     bool generate() const;
     std::vector<std::string> makeClangArgs() const;
 
-    const char *const m_applicationPath;
+    std::string_view m_applicationPath;
     const std::vector<const char *> &m_sourceFiles;
-    const std::vector<std::string> &m_clangOptions;
+    const std::vector<std::string_view> &m_clangOptions;
     std::ostream &m_os;
     std::vector<std::unique_ptr<CodeGenerator>> m_generators;
     std::unique_ptr<ToolInvocation> m_toolInvocation;
diff --git a/generator/main.cpp b/generator/main.cpp
index b4d0fa1..d10909f 100644
--- a/generator/main.cpp
+++ b/generator/main.cpp
@@ -69,14 +69,16 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         }
 
         // compose options passed to the clang tool invocation
-        vector<string> clangOptions;
+        auto clangOptions = std::vector<std::string_view>();
         if (clangOptionsArg.isPresent()) {
             // add additional options specified via CLI argument
             for (const auto *const value : clangOptionsArg.values(0)) {
                 // split options by ";" - not nice but this eases using CMake generator expressions
-                const auto splittedValues(splitString<vector<string>>(value, ";", EmptyPartsTreat::Omit));
+                const auto splittedValues = splitStringSimple<std::vector<std::string_view>>(value, ";");
                 for (const auto &splittedValue : splittedValues) {
-                    clangOptions.emplace_back(move(splittedValue));
+                    if (!splittedValue.empty()) {
+                        clangOptions.emplace_back(splittedValue);
+                    }
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -88,7 +90,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         }
 
         // instantiate the code factory and add generators to it
-        CodeFactory factory(parser.executable(), inputFileArg.values(0), clangOptions, *os);
+        auto factory = CodeFactory(parser.executable(), inputFileArg.values(0), clangOptions, *os);
         factory.setErrorResilient(errorResilientArg.isPresent());
         // add specified generators if the --generator argument is present; otherwise add default generators
         if (generatorsArg.isPresent()) {
diff --git a/generator/tests/jsongenerator.cpp b/generator/tests/jsongenerator.cpp
index 3bf98a6..9b8b0f9 100644
--- a/generator/tests/jsongenerator.cpp
+++ b/generator/tests/jsongenerator.cpp
@@ -64,13 +64,14 @@ JsonGeneratorTests::JsonGeneratorTests()
  */
 void JsonGeneratorTests::testGeneratorItself()
 {
-    const string inputFilePath(testFilePath("some_structs.h"));
-    const vector<const char *> inputFiles{ inputFilePath.data() };
-    const vector<string> clangOptions{ "-resource-dir", REFLECTION_GENERATOR_CLANG_RESOURCE_DIR, "-std=c++17", "-I", CPP_UTILITIES_INCLUDE_DIRS,
+    const auto inputFilePath = testFilePath("some_structs.h");
+    const auto inputFiles = vector<const char *>{ inputFilePath.data() };
+    const auto clangOptions
+        = vector<std::string_view>{ "-resource-dir", REFLECTION_GENERATOR_CLANG_RESOURCE_DIR, "-std=c++17", "-I", CPP_UTILITIES_INCLUDE_DIRS,
 #ifdef RAPIDJSON_INCLUDE_DIRS
-        "-I", RAPIDJSON_INCLUDE_DIRS
+              "-I", RAPIDJSON_INCLUDE_DIRS
 #endif
-    };
+          };
 
     stringstream buffer;
     JsonSerializationCodeGenerator::Options jsonOptions;