Qt isn't a compiler-specific framework.

The problem with Qt not using std::string is when you (gasp!) want to integrate with non-Qt libraries that do use std::string. It has nothing to do with what std::string offers or does not offer compared to any other string implementation. std::string was the string implementation for C++ since before Qt began, and by not using it for their strings, they delivered a significant message about their desire to integrate easily with non-Qt libraries.

Meh, having used Qt since 2000, I've never found that a problem in practice. After all, there've always been conversion functions.

Qt not using std::string made a lot of sense when everyone though UTF-16 was the future. A 16 bit default string type was just what modern i18n friendly language or framework had to have. It’s only in the past several years with the rise of UTF-8 everywhere that it looks like a mistake.

I'm not questioning your perspective.

But I looked at using Qt in 1999 and easily decided against it, in part for this reason. Those of us coming from a *nix background got the UTF-8 thing much earlier than people affected by the Microsoft worldview.

Ah that is why C excels in localisation and internationalisation.

Thankfully having a *nix background helped Sun getting Java design regarding UTF just right.

I’m a QWidgets guy, I understood what he is saying.