Re: [boost] [General] Always treat std::strings as UTF-8

Subject: Re: [boost] [General] Always treat std::strings as UTF-8
From: Artyom (artyomtnk_at_[hidden])
Date: 2011-01-18 08:35:17

> From: Alexander Lamaison <awl03_at_[hidden]>
> > Dave Abrahams  wrote:
> > 
> >> I think the reason to use separate types is to  provide a type-safety
> >> barrier between your functions that operate on  utf-8 and system or
> >> 3rd-party interfaces that don't or may  not.  In principle, that should
> >> force you to think about  encoding and decoding at all the places where
> >> it may be needed, and  should allow you to code naturally and with
> >> confidence where  everybody is operating in utf8-land.
> > 
> > Yes, in principle. It  isn't terribly necessary if everybody is operating in 

> > UTF-8 land  though. 
> 
> Which is exactly why it's necessary: everybody _isn't_ operating  in UTF-8
> land.
> 

The problem is that you need to pic some encoding
and UTF-8 is the most universal and useful.

Otherwise you should:

1. Reinvent the string
2. Reinvent standard library to use new string
3. Reinvent 1001 other libraries to use the new
   string.

It is just neither feasible no necessary.

Artyom