Re: [Boost-users] [boost][exception] Wide-character design considerations

Subject: Re: [Boost-users] [boost][exception] Wide-character design considerations
From: John Dlugosz (JDlugosz_at_[hidden])
Date: 2010-06-24 11:28:25

> > System functions take the "system code page" which might be different
> for file-name related functions, but did not support UTF-8 in the
> historical Windows line, but appears to be there for modern versions.
>  But, lots of code was written to support Windows 95 and is still out
> there.  Actually, I don't know if passing UTF-8 to the Windows API-A
> functions work!  Normally, one uses the UTF-16 (-W) forms.
> 
> No, it won't work, the non-W Windows functions don't understand UTF-8,
> and the -W functions use UTF-16.

Even when the code page is set to UTF-8?  I thought the -A forms are wrappers that call MultiByteCharToWideChar on the arguments and then call the -W forms.  So anything that function works with should work.


> 
> > So, making the human-reportable string be UTF-8 is simply not going
> to sit well with Windows programmers.  Make it UTF-16 and I can pass it
> to wcout<< or call TextOut, OutputDebugString, etc. with no problem.
> 
> Right, but UTF-16 won't sit well with non-Windows programmers. :)

After more reflection, I think a more complete answer is that the narrow-string function should not blindly return UTF-8, but should reflect the current locale setting.

--John





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