[gmpi] Re: string encoding in teh API (UTFs)

On Fri, Dec 16, 2005 at 09:54:27AM +1300, Jeff McClintock wrote:
> >...  We have to pass strings between objects from
> >different compilers as well as possibly across networks.
> 
> Both Windows and OS-X SDKs require consistent byte-ordering and
> character width in strings.
> 
> A large number of compilers target Windows or Mac, (including GNU).  So
> which compilers have a problem?

Quoted from the Apple Developer Connection:
        Important: Although wchar_t and wstring are standards, they are
        somewhat vaguely defined and ambiguous ones. Mac OS X provides far
        better support for Wide and Unicode characters through the
        CFString APIs. Apple strongly recommends using these APIs on Mac
        OS X, as almost all other Mac OS X frameworks expect wide
        character strings to be in this format, and none support wchar_t
        and wstring.

> The Mozilla browser, Über cross-platform.  Source code and internal 
> interfaces use wide-chars.

So on UNIX platforms, including MacOS X, they use 32 bit characters.

> Still, if the group is happy with UTF-8, it's fine with me.

We have 2 options.

We can go with UTF-8.  Translated strings can be cross-platform and
transparent.  ASCII just works.  There is standards support, string
literal support and full library support.

        or

We can go with wchar_t.  The actual encoding depends on the platform
(UTF-16 or UTF-32).  Strings files need to be converted from <whatever> to
the native wchar_t before they come out of a plugin.  There is standards
support, de facto string-literal support (L"string") and full library
support.

I think UTF-8 is the best option.  Given how little of what we do will be
string manipulation, and how little anyone but you and I seem to care,
let's agree to go with UTF-8 for now, until and unless we find a great
reason to do UTF-16.

Deal?

Tim

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