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# B. The `char32_t` problem

In response to the `wchar_t` mess described in the previous section, ISO C 11 introduces two new types: `char32_t` and `char16_t`.

`char32_t` is a type like `wchar_t`, with the added guarantee that it is 32 bits wide. So, it is a type that is appropriate for encoding a Unicode character. It is meant to resolve the problems of the 16-bit wide `wchar_t` on AIX and Windows platforms, and allow a saner programming model for wide character strings across all platforms.

`char16_t` is a type like `wchar_t`, with the added guarantee that it is 16 bits wide. It is meant to allow porting programs that use the broken wide character strings programming model from Windows to all platforms. Of course, no one needs this.

These types are accompanied with a syntax for defining wide string literals with these element types: `u"..."` and `U"..."`.

So far, so good. What the ISO C designers forgot, is to provide standardized C library functions that operate on these wide character strings. They standardized only the most basic functions, `mbrtoc32` and `c32rtomb`, which are analogous to `mbrtowc` and `wcrtomb`, respectively. For the rest, GNU gnulib https://www.gnu.org/software/gnulib/ provides the functions:

- Functions for converting an entire string: `mbstoc32s` – like `mbstowcs`, `c32stombs` – like `wcstombs`.
- Functions for testing the properties of a 32-bit wide character: `c32isalnum`, `c32isalpha`, etc. – like `iswalnum`, `iswalpha`, etc.

Still, this API has two problems:

- The `char32_t` encoding is locale dependent and undocumented. This means, if you want to know any property of a `char32_t` character, other than the properties defined by `<wctype.h>` – such as whether it's a dash, currency symbol, paragraph separator, or similar –, you have to convert it to `char *` encoding first, by use of the function `c32tomb`.
- Even on platforms where `wchar_t` is 32 bits wide, the `char32_t` encoding may be different from the `wchar_t` encoding.

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This document was generated by Bruno Haible on February, 23 2026 using texi2html 1.78a.