https://github.com/boostorg/nowide
Boost.Nowide - Standard library functions with UTF-8 API on Windows
https://github.com/boostorg/nowide
Last synced: 9 months ago
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Boost.Nowide - Standard library functions with UTF-8 API on Windows
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/boostorg/nowide
- Owner: boostorg
- License: bsl-1.0
- Created: 2015-09-24T19:30:31.000Z (over 10 years ago)
- Default Branch: develop
- Last Pushed: 2025-04-02T08:03:15.000Z (10 months ago)
- Last Synced: 2025-04-04T01:58:18.715Z (9 months ago)
- Language: C++
- Homepage:
- Size: 1.16 MB
- Stars: 178
- Watchers: 13
- Forks: 52
- Open Issues: 3
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- Funding: .github/FUNDING.yml
- License: LICENSE
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
# Boost.Nowide
Branch | Appveyor | Github | codecov.io | Deps | Docs | Tests |
------------|----------|--------|------------| ---- | ---- | ----- |
[master](https://github.com/boostorg/nowide/tree/master) | [](https://ci.appveyor.com/project/Flamefire/nowide-fr98b/branch/master) | [](https://github.com/boostorg/nowide/actions/workflows/ci.yml) | [](https://codecov.io/gh/boostorg/nowide/branch/master) | [](https://pdimov.github.io/boostdep-report/master/nowide.html) | [](https://www.boost.org/doc/libs/master/libs/nowide/index.html) | [](https://www.boost.org/development/tests/master/developer/nowide.html)
[develop](https://github.com/boostorg/nowide/tree/develop) | [](https://ci.appveyor.com/project/Flamefire/nowide-fr98b/branch/develop) | [](https://github.com/boostorg/nowide/actions/workflows/ci.yml) | [](https://codecov.io/gh/boostorg/nowide/branch/develop) | [](https://pdimov.github.io/boostdep-report/develop/nowide.html) | [](https://www.boost.org/doc/libs/develop/libs/nowide/index.html) | [](https://www.boost.org/development/tests/develop/developer/nowide.html)
Quality checks:
[](https://scan.coverity.com/projects/boostorg-nowide)
[](https://www.codefactor.io/repository/github/boostorg/nowide)
Library for cross-platform, unicode aware programming.
The library provides an implementation of standard C and C++ library functions, such that their inputs are UTF-8 aware on Windows without requiring to use the Wide API.
### License
Distributed under the [Boost Software License, Version 1.0](https://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt).
### Properties
* optional C++17 (filesystem) support
* Usable outside of Boost via CMake
* Compiled library on every OS
Note on the last point:
Having a compiled library allows cross-platform access to e.g. `setenv` which would not be available when using a `-std=c++nn` flag.
This is different to the version available prior to the inclusion in Boost.
### Requirements (All versions)
* **C++11** (or higher) compatible compiler
* MSVC 2015 and up work
* libstdc++ < 5 is unsupported as it is silently lacking C++11 features
* When building with B2 pass e.g. `cxxstd=11` if your compiler defaults to C++03
### Requirements (Boost version)
* Boost (>= 1.56)
* CMake (when not using as part of Boost) or B2 (otherwise)
### Requirements (Standalone version)
The [standalone branch](https://github.com/boostorg/nowide/tree/standalone) keeps track of the [develop branch](https://github.com/boostorg/nowide/tree/develop) and can be used without any other part of Boost.
It is automatically updated so referring to a specific commit is recommended.
You can also use the standalone source archive which is part of every release.
* CMake
# Quickstart
Instead of using the standard library functions use the corresponding member of Boost.Nowide with the same name.
On Linux those are (mostly) aliases for the `std` ones, but on Windows they accept UTF-8 as input and use the wide API for the underlying functionality.
Examples:
- `std::ifstream -> boost::nowide::ifstream`
- `std::fopen -> boost::nowide::fopen`
- `std::fclose -> boost::nowide::fclose`
- `std::getenv -> boost::nowide::getenv`
- `std::putenv -> boost::nowide::putenv`
- `std::cout -> boost::nowide::cout`
To also convert your input arguments to UTF-8 on Windows use:
```
int main(int argc, char **argv)
{
boost::nowide::args _(argc, argv); // Must use an instance!
...
}
```
See the [Documentation](https://www.boost.org/doc/libs/master/libs/nowide/index.html) for details.
# Compile
## With Boost
Compile and install the Boost super project the usual way via `./b2`.
The headers and library will then be available together with all other Boost libraries.
From within CMake you can then use `find_package(Boost COMPONENTS nowide)` and link against `Boost::nowide`.
Note that `find_package(boost_nowide)` will find the package too, but the above is the canonical way.
## With CMake
Boost.Nowide fully supports CMake.
So you can use `add_subdirectory("path-to-boost-nowide-repo")` and link your project against the target `Boost::nowide`.
You can also pre-compile and install Boost.Nowide via the usual workflow:
```
mkdir build && cd build
cmake .. -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr/local
make install
```
A CMake-Config file will be installed alongside Boost.Nowide so `find_package(boost_nowide)` does work out-of the box
(provided it was installed into a "standard" location or its `INSTALL_PREFIX` was added to `CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH`).
# Boost.Filesystem integration
Boost.Nowide integrates with Boost.Filesystem:
- Call `boost::nowide::nowide_filesystem()` to imbue UTF-8 into Boost.Filesystem (for use by `boost::filesystem::path`) such that narrow strings passed into Boost.Filesystem are treated as UTF-8 on Windows
### More information
* [Ask questions](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/ask?tags=c%2B%2B,boost,boost-nowide)
* [Report bugs](https://github.com/boostorg/nowide/issues): Be sure to mention Boost version, platform and compiler you're using. A small compilable code sample to reproduce the problem is always good as well.
* Submit your patches as pull requests against **develop** branch. Note that by submitting patches you agree to license your modifications under the [Boost Software License, Version 1.0](https://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt).
* Discussions about the library are held on the [Boost developers mailing list](https://www.boost.org/community/groups.html#main). Be sure to read the [discussion policy](https://www.boost.org/community/policy.html) before posting and add the `[nowide]` tag at the beginning of the subject line.