How to Perform Platform-Independent UTF8 and Wide Character Conversion in C ?

Platform-Independent UTF8 and Wide Character Conversion in STL

Converting between UTF8 strings in std::string and std::wstring is a common requirement when working with wide characters. While platform-specific functions like MultiByteToWideChar exist, they are not suitable for code targeting multiple operating systems.

Solution for C 11 and Later

In C 11, the standard library introduced support for character conversion via std::codecvt. This allows for platform-independent UTF8 conversion using the following code:

// UTF-8 to UTF-16
std::string utf8Source;
std::wstring_convert<std::codecvt_utf8_utf16<char16_t>, char16_t> convert;
std::u16string utf16Dest = convert.from_bytes(utf8Source);

// UTF-16 to UTF-8
std::u16string utf16Source;
std::string utf8Dest = convert.to_bytes(utf16Source);

Other Approaches

As noted by other answers, alternative approaches exist:

• Boost.Locale: This library provides platform-independent conversion support but requires additional setup.
• iconv: A system-level library for character conversion that can be accessed through std::iconv. However, its availability depends on the underlying platform.

Choosing the Right Approach

The choice of conversion method depends on the project's requirements and dependencies. C 11's std::codecvt is recommended for projects that prioritize simplicity and portability. For complex or platform-specific needs, consider Boost.Locale or iconv.

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