loadFromFile UNICODE path not working

[Wafthrudnir]

I am trying to load a file from this path:

C:\Testи\\pic.jpg

using this code (not using code tag, since it destroy the Cyrillic char):

   std::string file = u8"C:\\Testи\\UnicodePathCheck\\pic.jpg"; //does not work

   sf::Texture tex;
   tex.loadFromFile(file) //returns false


It works fine without the Cyrillic character in the path.

Since SFML does not provide a std::wstring overload, I guess it's impossible to load files from paths with characters outside the ASCII range?!

I checked the sources and figured that underlying stb_image library also would need an update to make this work. std::ifstream refuses to load the file. using std::wifstream with std::wstring works

My questions:

• Did I miss something?
• If not, will it be implemented in the future?!
• Maybe this is not an issue at all, since on a (e.g.) Chinese Windows the program files folder is named "program files" anyway. As long as the game and its resources lie in an ASCII based path, it doesn't matter. Or am I wrong (http://www.samlogic.net/articles/program-files-folder-different-languages.htm)

[Laurent]

1. No, your conclusion is perfectly right.

2. Yes of course.

3. It is an issue that will be fixed, but it's always better to use ASCII paths to avoid troubles anyway

[Wafthrudnir]

Thanks for your reply Laurent!

Good to hear it will be supported sometime in the future (is there any current roadmap, couldn't find one)

3. It is an issue that will be fixed, but it's always better to use ASCII paths to avoid troubles anyway

Yes, correct. The thing is, I don't know in which path the user will copy my game. Let's say I sell a game via Steam and Steam is installed in "C:\游戏\steamapps\", the game won't run.

I guess nowadays file operations must be done with Unicode if you plan to distribute your software worldwide 

[ToyAuthor]

This issue is nothing.
You can use _wfopen to get your file, then passing it from memory to SFML.
The stb_image library also provide a function named "stbi_load_from_callbacks" to do it.

[eXpl0it3r]

Yes, correct. The thing is, I don't know in which path the user will copy my game. Let's say I sell a game via Steam and Steam is installed in "C:\游戏\steamapps\", the game won't run.

I guess nowadays file operations must be done with Unicode if you plan to distribute your software worldwide 

So you're using the absolute path? Why not just work with relative paths?