[Lazarus] Lazarus (UTF8) and Windows: SysToUTF8, UTF8ToSys... Is there a better solution?

[Marco van de Voort]

On Thu, Dec 26, 2013 at 11:53:38PM -0200, Marcos Douglas wrote:
> > If you totally drop Delphi compatibility you can do whatever you want. But
> > IMHO that is more something for the Graeme's and Martin (MSEGUI's) of the
> > world, not Lazarus.
> 
> Ok... but if FPC, on Windows, will be UTF-16 and Lazarus continues
> using UTF-8 what is the difference?

Well, currently, Lazarus has no other choice, since the unicode FPC is not
ready. (only up to classes level).

This alone means that the current uncertainty will persist at least several
years.

> This approach is not like Delphi. It has the RTL and VCL using the
> same encode... FPC RTL and LCL will continue "fighting"!  :(

I always considered the UTF8 choice of Lazarus a temporary solution till FPC
caught up with Delphi.

The current situation really worries me, since at work I invested in
FPC/Lazarus in the assumption that compatibility would increase, not
decrease.