Re: [boost] [C++0x] Emulate C++0x char16_t, char32_t, std::u16string, and std::u32string

Subject: Re: [boost] [C++0x] Emulate C++0x char16_t, char32_t, std::u16string, and std::u32string
From: Beman Dawes (bdawes_at_[hidden])
Date: 2011-07-20 17:07:58

On Wed, Jul 20, 2011 at 4:45 PM, Antony Polukhin <antoshkka_at_[hidden]> wrote:
> 2011/7/21 Beman Dawes <bdawes_at_[hidden]>:
>> This is the same emulation approach Microsoft ships in VC++ 10.
>
> It is a bad approach, and will produce a lot of future workarounds. We
> can still remember wchar_t as a typedef for some compilers and a
> BOOST_NO_INTRINSIC_WCHAR_T macro for that defect.
>
> However some emulation for char16_t, char32_t types is required, but
> it must not be a typedef!
>
>> It seems to me that all Boost libraries that want to emulate these 0X
>> features should use the a unified approach. Otherwise we could get
>> into a situation where libraries A and B worked fine in isolation, but
>> had symbol or ODR clashes when used together.
>
> Totally agree.
>
>> The header I'm using is attached. I propose to place this in
>> <boost/string_0x.hpp> rather than, say,
>> <boost/filesystem/detail/string_0x.hpp>, and providing a simple doc
>> page.
>
> Agree, but please, don't implement char16_t, char32_t as a typedef!

There is no choice, unless I'm missing something. Microsoft has
already taken that approach to emulation, so that cat out of the bag.

You can also define BOOST_NO_STRING_0X_EMULATION and turn it off, if
you would rather not have emulation.

--Beman