Re: [boost] Re: Re: status of wchar_t support in filesystem::path?

From: Jeff Garland (jeff_at_[hidden])
Date: 2004-02-16 09:49:30

On Sun, 15 Feb 2004 22:48:53 -0500, Edward Diener wrote
> I think there are two separate issues which shouldn't be mixed, and 
> I don't know if you are inadvertently mixing them by your remark. 
> One is support for wide character file names, and the other is 
> support for wide character file streams. The C++ standard library 
> does support wide character file streams, it just doesn't support 
> wide character file names.
>
> I wasn't in any way criticizing filesystem for not having support 
> for wide character file names, or even supposing that it should 
> support wide character file names. In fact I don't think it should 
> unless the C++ standard library supported wide character file names 
> in its basic_fstream template classes, which it doesn't.

I see, I think misunderstood your point because I thought we were talking
about wide char support for filesystem, sorry.

I was really reacting to the "wall of resistance" analogy.  If even there is
such a thing with the std committee, the point was that it can't apply here at
Boost since you and everyone else are free to go do the work and show how it
can be done....

Also, I believe filesystem::path could and should be refactored to support
wide strings on platforms that provide this capability.  Obviously using this
interface would limit portability, but the issue clearly needs to be explored.
 Sounds like Beman is working on some ideas.  And I'm willing to wait as long
as it takes because it isn't going to be easy and I don't have the motivation
to go and try...

> ...snip....
>
> Finally I think that adding wide character file name support to the C++
> standard library is a much different issue from adding it to 
> filesystem, with adding it to filesystem being a much more 
> complicated endeavor than adding it to the C++ standard library 
> classes. 

Agree.

> But that may be a discussion which really doesn't belong 
> here, since it doesn't really deal with filesystem but with my 
> opinion about how to add wide character file name support to the C++ 
> standard library.

Agree.

Jeff