C++/COM string conversion

char* <--> wchar_t*
1. sprintf(desWChars, "%s", srcChars);
   swprintf(desChars, "%S", srcWChars);
2. wchar_t *desWChars = A2W(srcChars); // ATL convention.
   char *desChars = W2A(srcWChars);    // ATL convention.
   Note: A2W&W2A uses "alloca" to alloc memory from stack. So don't release the pointer.
3. Safe way:
   WideCharToMultiByte
4. CW2A pszConverted (bstrSrc);

5. int converted = wcstombs(pChars, pWChars, MB_CUR_MAX);
    int converted = mbstowcs(pWChars, pChars, MB_CUR_MAX);

STL string <--> char*
   char *pChars = stlString.c_str();
   string stlString(pChars)  // Construct Func

char* --> OLECHAR*
1. Simple but Not safe:
   #include <atlconv.h>
   USES_CONVERSION; // This is necessary.
   BSTR str = A2OLE(pChar);
   char *pChar = OLE2A(str); // pChar can't be freed by user. It is in stack.
        // Pay attention to "stack overflow" exception.
2. Safe:
   WideCharToMultiByte

STL wstring <--> BSTR
   std::wstring wstrAnsiVersion (bstrMyBeaster);

BSTR --> _bstr_t
    _bstr_t bstrDes(bstrSrc); // Constructor.
    bstrDes = bstrSrc;       // Operator "=" function
_bstr_t --> BSTR
    BSTR bstrDes = bstrSrc.copy();
    BSTR bstrDes = bstrSrc;   // Operator "="

//
Properties -> Configuration Properties -> General -> Use of ATL.

LPSTR = char*
LPCSTR = const char*
LPWSTR = wchar_t*
LPCWSTR = const wchar_t*
LPTSTR = char* or wchar_t* depending on _UNICODE
LPCTSTR = const char* or const wchar_t* depending on _UNICODE

C Language String Types and Classes

This article deals with the following C/MFC/ATL string types:

String Type	Description
char/wchar/TCHAR	The C strings for ANSI and Unicode
CString	The C++/MFC class wrapper for C strings
BSTR	The Visual Basic string type
_bstr_t	A C++ class wrapper for the Visual Basic string type
CComBSTR	Yet another C++ class wrapper for the Visual Basic string type used predominately in ATL code

Demo Project

The demo project is just an MFC dialog-based application with buttons for each type of conversion. It is built using VC++ 6.0. It uses a couple of support functions you may find helpful:

BSTR GetBSTR()
{
  _bstr_t bstr1(_T("This is the test string."));

  BSTR bstr;

  bstr = bstr1.copy();

  return bstr;
}




CComBSTR GetComBSTR()
{
  CComBSTR bstr("This is the test string.");

  return bstr;
}


void CVbsDlg::ShowBSTR(BSTR bstr)
{
  _bstr_t bstrStart(bstr);

  CString s;

  s.Format(_T("%s"), (LPCTSTR)bstrStart);

  AfxMessageBox(s);

}

Conversions

So, let's get to it. Here are the conversion techniques:

1. • Converting BSTR to _bstr_t
   • Converting a _bstr_t to BSTR
   • Converting a CComBSTR to BSTR
   • Converting _bstr_t to CComBSTR
   • Converting BSTR to C String

      

     (Note: conversion that only works in Unicode)

       // BSTR to C String
     
       BSTR bstrStart;
     
       bstrStart = GetBSTR();
     
       TCHAR szFinal[255];
     
       // direct conversion from BSTR to LPCTSTR only works
       // in Unicode
       _stprintf(szFinal, _T("%s"), (LPCTSTR)bstrStart);
       AfxMessageBox(szFinal);
     
       _bstr_t bstrIntermediate(bstrStart);    // convert to
                                               // _bstr_t
       CString strFinal;
     
       // you have to go through _bstr_t to have it work in ANSI
       // and Unicode
       _stprintf(szFinal, _T("%s"), (LPCTSTR)bstrIntermediate);
     
       // Or, using MFC
     
       strFinal.Format(_T("%s"), (LPCTSTR)bstrIntermediate);
     
       AfxMessageBox(strFinal);
     

      

     (this works in both ANSI and Unicode)

       _bstr_t bstrStart(_T("This is the test string."));
       TCHAR szFinal[255];
     
       _stprintf(szFinal, _T("%s"), (LPCTSTR)bstrStart);
     
       AfxMessageBox(szFinal);
     

      

     (not possible; must go through _bstr_t)

       // CComBSTR to C String
       CComBSTR bstrStart("This is the test string.");
     
       _bstr_t bstrIntermediate(bstrStart);
     
       TCHAR szFinal[255];
     
       _stprintf(szFinal, _T("%s"),
                 (LPCTSTR)bstrIntermediate);
     
       AfxMessageBox(szFinal);
     

      

     Use a constructor or = operator

       // LPCTSTR to _bstr_t
     
       LPCTSTR szStart = _T("This is the text string");
     
       // Use the constructor
       _bstr_t bstrFinal(szStart);
     
       ShowBSTR(bstrFinal);
     
       // or use = operator
       bstrFinal = szStart;
     
       ShowBSTR(bstrFinal);
     

      

     Use a constructor or CComBSTR::Append function

       // LPCTSTR to CComBSTR
     
       // Use a constructor
     
       LPCTSTR szStart = _T("This is the text string");
     
       // Use the constructor
       CComBSTR bstrFinal(szStart);
     
       ShowBSTR(bstrFinal);
     
       // Or use the Append function
       bstrFinal.Empty();
       bstrFinal.Append(szStart);
     
       ShowBSTR(bstrFinal);
     

   • Converting _bstr_t to C String
   • Converting CComBSTR to LPCTSTR
   • Converting LPCTSTR to _bstr_t
   • Converting LPCTSTR to CComBSTR

     // BSTR to _bst_t
   
     BSTR bstrStart = GetBSTR();
   
     // use the constructor
     _bstr_t bstrFinal(bstrStart);
   
     ShowBSTR(bstrFinal);
   
     // Use the = operator
     bstrFinal = bstrStart;
   
     ShowBSTR(bstrFinal);
   

    

   You may want to get a BSTR from a _bstr_t class.

     // _bstr_t to BSTR
   
     _bstr_t bstrStart(_T("This is the test string."));
   
     BSTR bstrFinish;
   
     // use _bstr_t::copy member function
     bstrFinish = bstrStart.copy();
   
     ShowBSTR(bstrFinish);
   
     // use = operator
     bstrFinish = bstrStart;
   
     ShowBSTR(bstrFinish);
   

    

   You may want to get a BSTR from a CComBSTR class.

     // CComBSTR to BSTR
     CComBSTR bstrStart(_T("This is the test string."));
   
     BSTR bstrFinish;
   
     // use the = operator
     bstrFinish = bstrStart;
   
     ShowBSTR(bstrFinish);
   
     // use the Copy member function
     bstrFinish = bstrStart.Copy();
   
     ShowBSTR(bstrFinish);
   

    

     // _bstr_t to CComBSTR
     _bstr_t bstrStart(_T("This is the test string."));
   
     CComBSTR bstrFinish;
   
     bstrFinish.AppendBSTR(bstrStart);
   
     ShowBSTR(bstrFinish);