C++ Windows Unicode Console Output

Update 2019-11-11

Not much has changed in the WINLAND console world. Still, the following code produces no output.

#include <string>
#include <iostream>

int main () 
{
const static std::wstring doubles = L"║═╚"; 
const static std::wstring singles = L"│─└"; 
std::wcout << doubles ;
}

#include <string>

#include <iostream>

int main ()

{

const static std::wstring doubles = L"║═╚";

const static std::wstring singles = L"│─└";

std::wcout << doubles ;

}

Unless you do spend time digging through this long post or other similar posts elsewhere. Generally doing things, Linux/Mac console developers users, have never heard of.

For example. I have never mentioned ‘u8’ (UTF-8) string literals. That is an iso C++ native way to use UTF-8 encoding of char string literals.

#include <string>
#include <iostream>
int main () 
{
 // utf-8 encoded narrow string literals
 const char8_t doubles[] = u8"║═╚";
 const char8_t singles[] = u8"│─└";
   ::printf("\n\n%s\n\n%s\n\n", doubles, singles);
}

#include <string>

#include <iostream>

int main ()

{

// utf-8 encoded narrow string literals

const char8_t doubles[] = u8"║═╚";

const char8_t singles[] = u8"│─└";

::printf("\n\n%s\n\n%s\n\n", doubles, singles);

}

To actually make the above work, you need to do two more “things” as ever: make sure chcp 65001 is executed beforehand, on the same console (in WIN10 it *should* be the default), and of course if not already switch to the font that can show these glyphs.

Yes, to code in a truly portable fashion, I suggest using char8_t as bove. Alternatively, one can always try a bit more relaxed style:

// both work on CLANG 8.0.1
auto & doubles = u8"║═╚";
auto * singles = u8"│─└";
::printf("\n\n%s\n\n%s\n\n", doubles, singles);

// both work on CLANG 8.0.1

auto & doubles = u8"║═╚";

auto * singles = u8"│─└";

::printf("\n\n%s\n\n%s\n\n", doubles, singles);

But be prepared to be surprised by your compiler, at least for a while until it exhibits a full C++20 conformance.

Windows Terminal 1.0

Yes, there is much more I can write about this whole issue, but I decided not to. Yet. Let’s allow the WIN team leadership to release a stable and bug-free new console subsystem first. Apparently that is “spring 2020”.

Continue reading “C++ Windows Unicode Console Output”

2019-06-282019-07-18

c++ metacall()()()™

paradigm-shift-2 — A paradigm shift (or revolutionary science) is, according to Thomas Kuhn, in his influential book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (1962), a change in the basic assumptions, or paradigms, within the ruling theory of science. It is in contrast to his idea of normal science.

metacall series

Part One: metacall foundations, JavaScript format
Part Two: metacall C# Binding

metacall()()()™

metacall broadly means: “call of calls”

Part 3 : C++ Binding

It is not attached to any programing language, yet metacall as a concept is born (and bred) in the domain of type-less JavaScript. Slight difficulty is that good old/new/standard C++, is v.s. JavaScript, one strongly typed language. In English: types are everything.

Also, C++ is compiled language, vs dynamic (interpreted) JavaScript. Although, metaclass is already implemented in C#. And conceptualy, as far as types are concerned, C# is somewhere in between, (but not in the middle !) even in it’s latest reincarnation.

Ditto, I think metacall must be implemented in C++ too. Let’s jump into the deep.
Continue reading “c++ metacall()()()™”