Adapted to API changes with respect to GetTextExtent (patch #1709152).

[wxWidgets.git] / include / wx / string.h

diff --git a/include/wx/string.h b/include/wx/string.h
index 91d990fdbdf5032cf5e1090152fd2bc2411022f8..43bde5e5c1636290927bcc2a4c8d31af5a98f00b 100644 (file)
--- a/include/wx/string.h
+++ b/include/wx/string.h
@@ -1,99 +1,127 @@
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

-// Name:        string.h
-// Purpose:     wxString and wxArrayString classes
+// Name:        wx/string.h
+// Purpose:     wxString class

 // Author:      Vadim Zeitlin
 // Modified by:
 // Created:     29/01/98
 // RCS-ID:      $Id$
 // Copyright:   (c) 1998 Vadim Zeitlin <zeitlin@dptmaths.ens-cachan.fr>
 // Author:      Vadim Zeitlin
 // Modified by:
 // Created:     29/01/98
 // RCS-ID:      $Id$
 // Copyright:   (c) 1998 Vadim Zeitlin <zeitlin@dptmaths.ens-cachan.fr>

-// Licence:     wxWindows license
+// Licence:     wxWindows licence

 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 

-#ifndef _WX_WXSTRINGH__
-#define _WX_WXSTRINGH__
+/*
+    Efficient string class [more or less] compatible with MFC CString,
+    wxWidgets version 1 wxString and std::string and some handy functions
+    missing from string.h.
+*/

 
 

-#ifdef __GNUG__
-#pragma interface "string.h"
-#endif
+#ifndef _WX_WXSTRING_H__
+#define _WX_WXSTRING_H__
+
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// headers
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

 
 

-#ifdef __WXMAC__
+#include "wx/defs.h"        // everybody should include this
+
+#if defined(__WXMAC__) || defined(__VISAGECPP__)

     #include <ctype.h>
 #endif
 
     #include <ctype.h>
 #endif
 

-#ifdef __EMX__
-    #include <std.h>
+#if defined(__VISAGECPP__) && __IBMCPP__ >= 400
+   // problem in VACPP V4 with including stdlib.h multiple times
+   // strconv includes it anyway
+#  include <stdio.h>
+#  include <string.h>
+#  include <stdarg.h>
+#  include <limits.h>
+#else
+#  include <string.h>
+#  include <stdio.h>
+#  include <stdarg.h>
+#  include <limits.h>
+#  include <stdlib.h>

 #endif
 
 #endif
 

-#include <string.h>
-#include <stdio.h>
-#include <stdarg.h>
-#include <limits.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
-
-#ifdef HAVE_STRINGS_H
+#ifdef HAVE_STRCASECMP_IN_STRINGS_H

     #include <strings.h>    // for strcasecmp()
     #include <strings.h>    // for strcasecmp()

-#endif // AIX
+#endif // HAVE_STRCASECMP_IN_STRINGS_H

 
 

-#ifndef  WX_PRECOMP
-  #include "wx/defs.h"
+#ifdef __WXPALMOS__
+    #include <StringMgr.h>
+#endif

 
 

-  #ifdef    WXSTRING_IS_WXOBJECT
-    #include "wx/object.h"
-  #endif
-#endif // !PCH
+#include "wx/wxcrt.h"       // for wxChar, wxStrlen() etc.
+#include "wx/strvararg.h"
+#include "wx/buffer.h"      // for wxCharBuffer
+#include "wx/strconv.h"     // for wxConvertXXX() macros and wxMBConv classes
+#include "wx/stringimpl.h"
+#include "wx/stringops.h"
+#include "wx/unichar.h"

 
 

-#include "wx/debug.h"
-#include "wx/wxchar.h"
-#include "wx/buffer.h"
+class WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE wxString;

 
 

-/*
-    Efficient string class [more or less] compatible with MFC CString,
-    wxWindows version 1 wxString and std::string and some handy functions
-    missing from string.h.
-*/
+// unless this symbol is predefined to disable the compatibility functions, do
+// use them
+#ifndef WXWIN_COMPATIBILITY_STRING_PTR_AS_ITER
+    #define WXWIN_COMPATIBILITY_STRING_PTR_AS_ITER 1
+#endif

 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // macros
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // macros
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 

-// compile the std::string compatibility functions if defined
-#define   wxSTD_STRING_COMPATIBILITY
+// casts [unfortunately!] needed to call some broken functions which require
+// "char *" instead of "const char *"
+#define   WXSTRINGCAST (wxChar *)(const wxChar *)
+#define   wxCSTRINGCAST (wxChar *)(const wxChar *)
+#define   wxMBSTRINGCAST (char *)(const char *)
+#define   wxWCSTRINGCAST (wchar_t *)(const wchar_t *)

 
 

-// define to derive wxString from wxObject
-#ifdef    WXSTRING_IS_WXOBJECT
-#undef    WXSTRING_IS_WXOBJECT
-#endif
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// constants
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

 
 

-// maximum possible length for a string means "take all string" everywhere
-//  (as sizeof(StringData) is unknown here we substract 100)
-const unsigned int wxSTRING_MAXLEN = UINT_MAX - 100;
+#if WXWIN_COMPATIBILITY_2_6

 
 

-// 'naughty' cast
-#define   WXSTRINGCAST (wxChar *)(const wxChar *)
-#define   WXCSTRINGCAST (wxChar *)(const wxChar *)
-#define   MBSTRINGCAST (char *)(const char *)
-#define   WCSTRINGCAST (wchar_t *)(const wchar_t *)
+// deprecated in favour of wxString::npos, don't use in new code
+//
+// maximum possible length for a string means "take all string" everywhere
+#define wxSTRING_MAXLEN wxString::npos

 
 

-// implementation only
-#define   ASSERT_VALID_INDEX(i) wxASSERT( (unsigned)(i) <= Len() )
+#endif // WXWIN_COMPATIBILITY_2_6

 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

-// Global functions complementing standard C string library replacements for
+// global functions complementing standard C string library replacements for

 // strlen() and portable strcasecmp()
 //---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // strlen() and portable strcasecmp()
 //---------------------------------------------------------------------------

-// USE wx* FUNCTIONS IN wx/wxchar.h INSTEAD - THIS IS ONLY FOR BINARY COMPATIBILITY
+
+#if WXWIN_COMPATIBILITY_2_8
+// Use wxXXX() functions from wxcrt.h instead! These functions are for
+// backwards compatibility only.

 
 // checks whether the passed in pointer is NULL and if the string is empty
 
 // checks whether the passed in pointer is NULL and if the string is empty

-inline bool WXDLLEXPORT IsEmpty(const char *p) { return (!p || !*p); }
+wxDEPRECATED( inline bool IsEmpty(const char *p) );
+inline bool IsEmpty(const char *p) { return (!p || !*p); }

 
 // safe version of strlen() (returns 0 if passed NULL pointer)
 
 // safe version of strlen() (returns 0 if passed NULL pointer)

-inline size_t WXDLLEXPORT Strlen(const char *psz)
+wxDEPRECATED( inline size_t Strlen(const char *psz) );
+inline size_t Strlen(const char *psz)

   { return psz ? strlen(psz) : 0; }
 
 // portable strcasecmp/_stricmp
   { return psz ? strlen(psz) : 0; }
 
 // portable strcasecmp/_stricmp

-inline int WXDLLEXPORT Stricmp(const char *psz1, const char *psz2)
+wxDEPRECATED( inline int Stricmp(const char *psz1, const char *psz2) );
+inline int Stricmp(const char *psz1, const char *psz2)

 {
 {

-#if defined(__VISUALC__) || ( defined(__MWERKS__) && defined(__INTEL__) )
+#if defined(__VISUALC__) && defined(__WXWINCE__)
+  register char c1, c2;
+  do {
+    c1 = tolower(*psz1++);
+    c2 = tolower(*psz2++);
+  } while ( c1 && (c1 == c2) );
+
+  return c1 - c2;
+#elif defined(__VISUALC__) || ( defined(__MWERKS__) && defined(__INTEL__) )

   return _stricmp(psz1, psz2);
 #elif defined(__SC__)
   return _stricmp(psz1, psz2);
   return _stricmp(psz1, psz2);
 #elif defined(__SC__)
   return _stricmp(psz1, psz2);


@@ -103,9 +131,16 @@ inline int WXDLLEXPORT Stricmp(const char *psz1, const char *psz2)
   return stricmp(psz1, psz2);
 #elif defined(__WATCOMC__)
   return stricmp(psz1, psz2);
   return stricmp(psz1, psz2);
 #elif defined(__WATCOMC__)
   return stricmp(psz1, psz2);

+#elif defined(__DJGPP__)
+  return stricmp(psz1, psz2);

 #elif defined(__EMX__)
   return stricmp(psz1, psz2);
 #elif defined(__EMX__)
   return stricmp(psz1, psz2);

-#elif defined(__UNIX__) || defined(__GNUWIN32__)
+#elif defined(__WXPM__)
+  return stricmp(psz1, psz2);
+#elif defined(__WXPALMOS__) || \
+      defined(HAVE_STRCASECMP_IN_STRING_H) || \
+      defined(HAVE_STRCASECMP_IN_STRINGS_H) || \
+      defined(__GNUWIN32__)

   return strcasecmp(psz1, psz2);
 #elif defined(__MWERKS__) && !defined(__INTEL__)
   register char c1, c2;
   return strcasecmp(psz1, psz2);
 #elif defined(__MWERKS__) && !defined(__INTEL__)
   register char c1, c2;


@@ -133,291 +168,853 @@ inline int WXDLLEXPORT Stricmp(const char *psz1, const char *psz2)
 #endif  // OS/compiler
 }
 
 #endif  // OS/compiler
 }
 

+#endif // WXWIN_COMPATIBILITY_2_8
+

 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

-// global data
+// wxCStrData

 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 

-WXDLLEXPORT_DATA(extern const wxChar*) wxEmptyString;
+// Lightweight object returned by wxString::c_str() and implicitly convertible
+// to either const char* or const wchar_t*.
+class WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE wxCStrData
+{
+private:
+    // Ctors; for internal use by wxString and wxCStrData only
+    wxCStrData(const wxString *str, size_t offset = 0, bool owned = false)
+        : m_str(str), m_offset(offset), m_owned(owned) {}
+
+public:
+    // Ctor constructs the object from char literal; they are needed to make
+    // operator?: compile and they intentionally take char*, not const char*
+    inline wxCStrData(char *buf);
+    inline wxCStrData(wchar_t *buf);
+    inline wxCStrData(const wxCStrData& data);
+
+    inline ~wxCStrData();
+
+    // methods defined inline below must be declared inline or mingw32 3.4.5
+    // warns about "<symbol> defined locally after being referenced with
+    // dllimport linkage"
+#if wxUSE_UNICODE_WCHAR
+    inline
+#endif
+    const wchar_t* AsWChar() const;
+    operator const wchar_t*() const { return AsWChar(); }

 
 

-// global pointer to empty string
-WXDLLEXPORT_DATA(extern const wxChar*) g_szNul;
+#if !wxUSE_UNICODE
+    inline
+#endif
+    const char* AsChar() const;
+    const unsigned char* AsUnsignedChar() const
+        { return (const unsigned char *) AsChar(); }
+    operator const char*() const { return AsChar(); }
+    operator const unsigned char*() const { return AsUnsignedChar(); }
+
+    operator const void*() const { return AsChar(); }
+
+    inline const wxCharBuffer AsCharBuf() const;
+    inline const wxWCharBuffer AsWCharBuf() const;
+
+    inline wxString AsString() const;
+
+    // returns the value as C string in internal representation (equivalent
+    // to AsString().wx_str(), but more efficient)
+    const wxStringCharType *AsInternal() const;
+
+    // allow expressions like "c_str()[0]":
+    inline wxUniChar operator[](size_t n) const;
+    wxUniChar operator[](int n) const { return operator[](size_t(n)); }
+    wxUniChar operator[](long n) const { return operator[](size_t(n)); }
+#ifndef wxSIZE_T_IS_UINT
+    wxUniChar operator[](unsigned int n) const { return operator[](size_t(n)); }
+#endif // size_t != unsigned int
+
+    // these operators are needed to emulate the pointer semantics of c_str():
+    // expressions like "wxChar *p = str.c_str() + 1;" should continue to work
+    // (we need both versions to resolve ambiguities):
+    wxCStrData operator+(int n) const
+        { return wxCStrData(m_str, m_offset + n, m_owned); }
+    wxCStrData operator+(long n) const
+        { return wxCStrData(m_str, m_offset + n, m_owned); }
+    wxCStrData operator+(size_t n) const
+        { return wxCStrData(m_str, m_offset + n, m_owned); }
+
+    // and these for "str.c_str() + n - 2":
+    wxCStrData operator-(int n) const
+    {
+        wxASSERT_MSG( n <= (int)m_offset,
+                      _T("attempt to construct address before the beginning of the string") );
+        return wxCStrData(m_str, m_offset - n, m_owned);
+    }
+    wxCStrData operator-(long n) const
+    {
+        wxASSERT_MSG( n <= (int)m_offset,
+                      _T("attempt to construct address before the beginning of the string") );
+        return wxCStrData(m_str, m_offset - n, m_owned);
+    }
+    wxCStrData operator-(size_t n) const
+    {
+        wxASSERT_MSG( n <= m_offset,
+                      _T("attempt to construct address before the beginning of the string") );
+        return wxCStrData(m_str, m_offset - n, m_owned);
+    }

 
 

-// return an empty wxString
-class WXDLLEXPORT wxString; // not yet defined
-inline const wxString& wxGetEmptyString() { return *(wxString *)&g_szNul; }
+    // this operator is needed to make expressions like "*c_str()" or
+    // "*(c_str() + 2)" work
+    inline wxUniChar operator*() const;

 
 

+private:
+    const wxString *m_str;
+    size_t m_offset;
+    bool m_owned;
+
+    friend class WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE wxString;
+};
+
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// wxStringPrintfMixin

 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

-// string data prepended with some housekeeping info (used by wxString class),
-// is never used directly (but had to be put here to allow inlining)
-// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-struct WXDLLEXPORT wxStringData
+
+// NB: VC6 has a bug that causes linker errors if you have template methods
+//     in a class using __declspec(dllimport). The solution is to split such
+//     class into two classes, one that contains the template methods and does
+//     *not* use WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE and another class that contains the rest
+//     (with DLL linkage).
+//
+//     We only do this for VC6 here, because the code is less efficient
+//     (Printf() has to use dynamic_cast<>) and because OpenWatcom compiler
+//     cannot compile this code.
+
+#if defined(__VISUALC__) && __VISUALC__ < 1300
+    #define wxNEEDS_WXSTRING_PRINTF_MIXIN
+#endif
+
+#ifdef wxNEEDS_WXSTRING_PRINTF_MIXIN
+// this class contains implementation of wxString's vararg methods, it's
+// exported from wxBase DLL
+class WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE wxStringPrintfMixinBase

 {
 {

-  int     nRefs;        // reference count
-  size_t  nDataLength,  // actual string length
-          nAllocLength; // allocated memory size
+protected:
+    wxStringPrintfMixinBase() {}
+
+    int DoPrintf(const wxString& format, ...);
+    static wxString DoFormat(const wxString& format, ...);
+};

 
 

-  // mimics declaration 'wxChar data[nAllocLength]'
-  wxChar* data() const { return (wxChar*)(this + 1); }
+// this class contains template wrappers for wxString's vararg methods, it's
+// intentionally *not* exported from the DLL in order to fix the VC6 bug
+// described above
+class wxStringPrintfMixin : public wxStringPrintfMixinBase
+{
+private:
+    // to further complicate things, we can't return wxString from
+    // wxStringPrintfMixin::Format() because wxString is not yet declared at
+    // this point; the solution is to use this fake type trait template - this
+    // way the compiler won't know the return type until Format() is used
+    // (this doesn't compile with Watcom, but VC6 compiles it just fine):
+    template<typename T> struct StringReturnType
+    {
+        typedef wxString type;
+    };

 
 

-  // empty string has a special ref count so it's never deleted
-  bool  IsEmpty()   const { return (nRefs == -1); }
-  bool  IsShared()  const { return (nRefs > 1);   }
+public:
+    // these are duplicated wxString methods, they're also declared below
+    // if !wxNEEDS_WXSTRING_PRINTF_MIXIN:
+
+    // static wxString Format(const wString& format, ...) ATTRIBUTE_PRINTF_1;
+    WX_DEFINE_VARARG_FUNC2_SANS_N0(static typename StringReturnType<T1>::type,
+                                   Format, 1, (const wxString&),
+                                   DoFormat, DoFormat)
+    // We have to implement the version without template arguments manually
+    // because of the StringReturnType<> hack, although WX_DEFINE_VARARG_FUNC
+    // normally does it itself. It has to be a template so that we can use
+    // the hack, even though there's no real template parameter:
+    struct FormatDummyArg {} ;
+
+    template<typename T>
+    inline static typename StringReturnType<T>::type
+    Format(const wxString& fmt, FormatDummyArg dummy = FormatDummyArg())
+    {
+        return DoFormat(fmt);
+    }

 
 

-  // lock/unlock
-  void  Lock()   { if ( !IsEmpty() ) nRefs++;                    }
-  void  Unlock() { if ( !IsEmpty() && --nRefs == 0) free(this);  }
+    // int Printf(const wxString& format, ...);
+    WX_DEFINE_VARARG_FUNC(int, Printf, 1, (const wxString&), DoPrintf)
+    // int sprintf(const wxString& format, ...) ATTRIBUTE_PRINTF_2;
+    WX_DEFINE_VARARG_FUNC(int, sprintf, 1, (const wxString&), DoPrintf)

 
 

-  // if we had taken control over string memory (GetWriteBuf), it's
-  // intentionally put in invalid state
-  void  Validate(bool b)  { nRefs = (b ? 1 : 0); }
-  bool  IsValid() const   { return (nRefs != 0); }
+protected:
+    wxStringPrintfMixin() : wxStringPrintfMixinBase() {}

 };
 };

+#endif // wxNEEDS_WXSTRING_PRINTF_MIXIN

 
 

+
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// wxString: string class trying to be compatible with std::string, MFC
+//           CString and wxWindows 1.x wxString all at once

 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

-// types of multibyte<->Unicode conversions
-// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-#if wxUSE_WCHAR_T
-class WXDLLEXPORT wxMBConv
-{
- public:
-  virtual size_t MB2WC(wchar_t *buf, const char *psz, size_t n) const;
-  virtual size_t WC2MB(char *buf, const wchar_t *psz, size_t n) const;
-  // No longer inline since BC++ complains.
-  const wxWCharBuffer cMB2WC(const char *psz) const;
-  const wxCharBuffer cWC2MB(const wchar_t *psz) const;
-#if wxUSE_UNICODE
-  const wxWCharBuffer cMB2WX(const char *psz) const { return cMB2WC(psz); }
-  const wxCharBuffer cWX2MB(const wchar_t *psz) const { return cWC2MB(psz); }
-  const wchar_t* cWC2WX(const wchar_t *psz) const { return psz; }
-  const wchar_t* cMB2WC(const wchar_t *psz) const { return psz; }
-#else
-  const char* cMB2WX(const char *psz) const { return psz; }
-  const char* cWX2MB(const char *psz) const { return psz; }
-  const wxCharBuffer cWC2WX(const wchar_t *psz) const { return cWC2MB(psz); }
-  const wxWCharBuffer cWX2WC(const char *psz) const { return cMB2WC(psz); }
+
+#ifdef wxNEEDS_WXSTRING_PRINTF_MIXIN
+    // "non dll-interface class 'wxStringPrintfMixin' used as base interface
+    // for dll-interface class 'wxString'" -- this is OK in our case
+    #pragma warning (disable:4275)

 #endif
 #endif

-};
-WXDLLEXPORT_DATA(extern wxMBConv) wxConvLibc;
-#define wxConv_libc wxConvLibc
-
-#define wxANOTHER_MBCONV(type) \
-class type : public wxMBConv { \
- public: \
-  virtual size_t MB2WC(wchar_t *buf, const char *psz, size_t n) const; \
-  virtual size_t WC2MB(char *buf, const wchar_t *psz, size_t n) const; \
-}

 
 

-WXDLLEXPORT_DATA(extern wxANOTHER_MBCONV(wxMBConvFile)) wxConvFile;
-#define wxConv_file wxConvFile
-WXDLLEXPORT_DATA(extern wxANOTHER_MBCONV(wxMBConvUTF7)) wxConvUTF7;
-WXDLLEXPORT_DATA(extern wxANOTHER_MBCONV(wxMBConvUTF8)) wxConvUTF8;
-#define wxConv_UTF8 wxConvUTF8
-#if defined(__WXGTK12__)
-    WXDLLEXPORT_DATA(extern wxANOTHER_MBCONV(wxMBConvGdk)) wxConvGdk;
-    #define wxConv_gdk wxConvGdk
-#endif // GTK > 1.0
-
-class wxCharacterSet;
-class WXDLLEXPORT wxCSConv : public wxMBConv
+class WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE wxString
+#ifdef wxNEEDS_WXSTRING_PRINTF_MIXIN
+                                : public wxStringPrintfMixin
+#endif

 {
 {

- private:
-  wxChar *m_name;
-  wxCharacterSet *m_cset;
-  bool m_deferred;
-  void SetName(const wxChar *charset);
- public:
-  wxCSConv(const wxChar *charset);
-  virtual ~wxCSConv();
-  void LoadNow();
-  virtual size_t MB2WC(wchar_t *buf, const char *psz, size_t n) const;
-  virtual size_t WC2MB(char *buf, const wchar_t *psz, size_t n) const;
-};
+  // NB: special care was taken in arranging the member functions in such order
+  //     that all inline functions can be effectively inlined, verify that all
+  //     performance critical functions are still inlined if you change order!
+public:
+  // an 'invalid' value for string index, moved to this place due to a CW bug
+  static const size_t npos;
+
+private:
+  // if we hadn't made these operators private, it would be possible to
+  // compile "wxString s; s = 17;" without any warnings as 17 is implicitly
+  // converted to char in C and we do have operator=(char)
+  //
+  // NB: we don't need other versions (short/long and unsigned) as attempt
+  //     to assign another numeric type to wxString will now result in
+  //     ambiguity between operator=(char) and operator=(int)
+  wxString& operator=(int);

 
 

-WXDLLEXPORT_DATA(extern wxCSConv) wxConvLocal;
-#define wxConv_local wxConvLocal
+  // these methods are not implemented - there is _no_ conversion from int to
+  // string, you're doing something wrong if the compiler wants to call it!
+  //
+  // try `s << i' or `s.Printf("%d", i)' instead
+  wxString(int);

 
 

-WXDLLEXPORT_DATA(extern wxMBConv *) wxConvCurrent;
-#define wxConv_current wxConvCurrent

 
 

-// filenames are multibyte on Unix and probably widechar on Windows?
-#if defined(__UNIX__) || defined(__BORLANDC__)
-#define wxMBFILES 1
+  // buffer for holding temporary substring when using any of the methods
+  // that take (char*,size_t) or (wchar_t*,size_t) arguments:
+  template<typename T>
+  struct SubstrBufFromType
+  {
+      T data;
+      size_t len;
+
+      SubstrBufFromType(const T& data_, size_t len_)
+          : data(data_), len(len_) {}
+  };
+
+#if wxUSE_UNICODE_UTF8
+  // even char* -> char* needs conversion, from locale charset to UTF-8
+  typedef SubstrBufFromType<wxCharBuffer>    SubstrBufFromWC;
+  typedef SubstrBufFromType<wxCharBuffer>    SubstrBufFromMB;
+#elif wxUSE_UNICODE_WCHAR
+  typedef SubstrBufFromType<const wchar_t*>  SubstrBufFromWC;
+  typedef SubstrBufFromType<wxWCharBuffer>   SubstrBufFromMB;

 #else
 #else

-#define wxMBFILES 0
+  typedef SubstrBufFromType<const char*>     SubstrBufFromMB;
+  typedef SubstrBufFromType<wxCharBuffer>    SubstrBufFromWC;

 #endif
 
 #endif
 

-#if wxMBFILES
-#define wxFNCONV(name) wxConvFile.cWX2MB(name)
-#define FNSTRINGCAST MBSTRINGCAST
+
+  // Functions implementing primitive operations on string data; wxString
+  // methods and iterators are implemented in terms of it. The differences
+  // between UTF-8 and wchar_t* representations of the string are mostly
+  // contained here.
+
+#if wxUSE_UNICODE_UTF8
+  static SubstrBufFromMB ConvertStr(const char *psz, size_t nLength,
+                                    const wxMBConv& conv);
+  static SubstrBufFromWC ConvertStr(const wchar_t *pwz, size_t nLength,
+                                    const wxMBConv& conv);
+#elif wxUSE_UNICODE_WCHAR
+  static SubstrBufFromMB ConvertStr(const char *psz, size_t nLength,
+                                    const wxMBConv& conv);

 #else
 #else

-#define wxFNCONV(name) name
-#define FNSTRINGCAST WXSTRINGCAST
+  static SubstrBufFromWC ConvertStr(const wchar_t *pwz, size_t nLength,
+                                    const wxMBConv& conv);

 #endif
 #endif

-#else//!wxUSE_WCHAR_T
-class WXDLLEXPORT wxMBConv {
+
+#if !wxUSE_UNICODE_UTF8 // wxUSE_UNICODE_WCHAR or !wxUSE_UNICODE
+  // returns C string encoded as the implementation expects:
+  #if wxUSE_UNICODE
+  static const wchar_t* ImplStr(const wchar_t* str)
+    { return str ? str : wxT(""); }
+  static const SubstrBufFromWC ImplStr(const wchar_t* str, size_t n)
+    { return SubstrBufFromWC(str, (str && n == npos) ? wxWcslen(str) : n); }
+  static wxWCharBuffer ImplStr(const char* str,
+                               const wxMBConv& conv = wxConvLibc)
+    { return ConvertStr(str, npos, conv).data; }
+  static SubstrBufFromMB ImplStr(const char* str, size_t n,
+                                 const wxMBConv& conv = wxConvLibc)
+    { return ConvertStr(str, n, conv); }
+  #else
+  static const char* ImplStr(const char* str,
+                             const wxMBConv& WXUNUSED(conv) = wxConvLibc)
+    { return str ? str : ""; }
+  static const SubstrBufFromMB ImplStr(const char* str, size_t n,
+                                       const wxMBConv& WXUNUSED(conv) = wxConvLibc)
+    { return SubstrBufFromMB(str, (str && n == npos) ? wxStrlen(str) : n); }
+  static wxCharBuffer ImplStr(const wchar_t* str)
+    { return ConvertStr(str, npos, wxConvLibc).data; }
+  static SubstrBufFromWC ImplStr(const wchar_t* str, size_t n)
+    { return ConvertStr(str, n, wxConvLibc); }
+  #endif
+
+  // translates position index in wxString to/from index in underlying
+  // wxStringImpl:
+  static size_t PosToImpl(size_t pos) { return pos; }
+  static void PosLenToImpl(size_t pos, size_t len,
+                           size_t *implPos, size_t *implLen)
+    { *implPos = pos; *implLen = len; }
+  static size_t LenToImpl(size_t len) { return len; }
+  static size_t PosFromImpl(size_t pos) { return pos; }
+
+#else // wxUSE_UNICODE_UTF8
+
+  // FIXME-UTF8: return as-is without copying under UTF8 locale, return
+  //             converted string under other locales - needs wxCharBuffer
+  //             changes
+  static wxCharBuffer ImplStr(const char* str,
+                              const wxMBConv& conv = wxConvLibc)
+    { return ConvertStr(str, npos, conv).data; }
+  static SubstrBufFromMB ImplStr(const char* str, size_t n,
+                                 const wxMBConv& conv = wxConvLibc)
+    { return ConvertStr(str, n, conv); }
+
+  static wxCharBuffer ImplStr(const wchar_t* str)
+    { return ConvertStr(str, npos, wxConvUTF8).data; }
+  static SubstrBufFromWC ImplStr(const wchar_t* str, size_t n)
+    { return ConvertStr(str, n, wxConvUTF8); }
+
+  size_t PosToImpl(size_t pos) const
+  {
+      if ( pos == 0 || pos == npos )
+          return pos;
+      else
+          return (begin() + pos).impl() - m_impl.begin();
+  }
+
+  void PosLenToImpl(size_t pos, size_t len, size_t *implPos, size_t *implLen) const;
+
+  size_t LenToImpl(size_t len) const
+  {
+      size_t pos, len2;
+      PosLenToImpl(0, len, &pos, &len2);
+      return len2;
+  }
+
+  size_t PosFromImpl(size_t pos) const
+  {
+      if ( pos == 0 || pos == npos )
+          return pos;
+      else
+          return const_iterator(m_impl.begin() + pos) - begin();
+  }
+#endif // !wxUSE_UNICODE_UTF8/wxUSE_UNICODE_UTF8
+

 public:
 public:

-  const char* cMB2WX(const char *psz) const { return psz; }
-  const char* cWX2MB(const char *psz) const { return psz; }
-};
-WXDLLEXPORT_DATA(extern wxMBConv) wxConvLibc, wxConvFile;
-#define wxConv_libc wxConvLibc
-#define wxConv_file wxConvFile
-WXDLLEXPORT_DATA(extern wxMBConv *) wxConvCurrent;
-#define wxConv_current wxConvCurrent
-#define wxFNCONV(name) name
-#define FNSTRINGCAST WXSTRINGCAST
-#endif//wxUSE_WCHAR_T
+  // standard types
+  typedef wxUniChar value_type;
+  typedef wxUniChar char_type;
+  typedef wxUniCharRef reference;
+  typedef wxChar* pointer;
+  typedef const wxChar* const_pointer;
+
+  typedef size_t size_type;
+  typedef wxUniChar const_reference;
+
+#if wxUSE_STL
+  #if wxUSE_UNICODE_UTF8
+    // random access is not O(1), as required by Random Access Iterator
+    #define WX_STR_ITERATOR_TAG std::bidirectional_iterator_tag
+  #else
+    #define WX_STR_ITERATOR_TAG std::random_access_iterator_tag
+  #endif
+#else
+  #define WX_STR_ITERATOR_TAG void /* dummy type */
+#endif

 
 

-// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-// This is (yet another one) String class for C++ programmers. It doesn't use
-// any of "advanced" C++ features (i.e. templates, exceptions, namespaces...)
-// thus you should be able to compile it with practicaly any C++ compiler.
-// This class uses copy-on-write technique, i.e. identical strings share the
-// same memory as long as neither of them is changed.
-//
-// This class aims to be as compatible as possible with the new standard
-// std::string class, but adds some additional functions and should be at
-// least as efficient than the standard implementation.
-//
-// Performance note: it's more efficient to write functions which take "const
-// String&" arguments than "const char *" if you assign the argument to
-// another string.
-//
-// It was compiled and tested under Win32, Linux (libc 5 & 6), Solaris 5.5.
-//
-// To do:
-//  - ressource support (string tables in ressources)
-//  - more wide character (UNICODE) support
-//  - regular expressions support
-// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+  #define WX_STR_ITERATOR_IMPL(iterator_name, pointer_type,                 \
+                               reference_type, reference_ctor)              \
+      private:                                                              \
+          typedef wxStringImpl::iterator_name underlying_iterator;          \
+      public:                                                               \
+          typedef WX_STR_ITERATOR_TAG iterator_category;                    \
+          typedef wxUniChar value_type;                                     \
+          typedef int difference_type;                                      \
+          typedef reference_type reference;                                 \
+          typedef pointer_type pointer;                                     \
+                                                                            \
+          reference operator*() const { return reference_ctor; }            \
+          reference operator[](size_t n) const { return *(*this + n); }     \
+                                                                            \
+          iterator_name& operator++()                                       \
+            { wxStringOperations::IncIter(m_cur); return *this; }           \
+          iterator_name& operator--()                                       \
+            { wxStringOperations::DecIter(m_cur); return *this; }           \
+          iterator_name operator++(int)                                     \
+          {                                                                 \
+              iterator_name tmp = *this;                                    \
+              wxStringOperations::IncIter(m_cur);                           \
+              return tmp;                                                   \
+          }                                                                 \
+          iterator_name operator--(int)                                     \
+          {                                                                 \
+              iterator_name tmp = *this;                                    \
+              wxStringOperations::DecIter(m_cur);                           \
+              return tmp;                                                   \
+          }                                                                 \
+                                                                            \
+          iterator_name& operator+=(int n)                                  \
+          {                                                                 \
+              m_cur = wxStringOperations::AddToIter(m_cur, n);              \
+              return *this;                                                 \
+          }                                                                 \
+          iterator_name& operator+=(size_t n)                               \
+          {                                                                 \
+              m_cur = wxStringOperations::AddToIter(m_cur, (int)n);         \
+              return *this;                                                 \
+          }                                                                 \
+          iterator_name& operator-=(int n)                                  \
+          {                                                                 \
+              m_cur = wxStringOperations::AddToIter(m_cur, -n);             \
+              return *this;                                                 \
+          }                                                                 \
+          iterator_name& operator-=(size_t n)                               \
+          {                                                                 \
+              m_cur = wxStringOperations::AddToIter(m_cur, -(int)n);        \
+              return *this;                                                 \
+          }                                                                 \
+                                                                            \
+          difference_type operator-(const iterator_name& i) const           \
+            { return wxStringOperations::DiffIters(m_cur, i.m_cur); }       \
+                                                                            \
+          bool operator==(const iterator_name& i) const                     \
+            { return m_cur == i.m_cur; }                                    \
+          bool operator!=(const iterator_name& i) const                     \
+            { return m_cur != i.m_cur; }                                    \
+                                                                            \
+          bool operator<(const iterator_name& i) const                      \
+            { return m_cur < i.m_cur; }                                     \
+          bool operator>(const iterator_name& i) const                      \
+            { return m_cur > i.m_cur; }                                     \
+          bool operator<=(const iterator_name& i) const                     \
+            { return m_cur <= i.m_cur; }                                    \
+          bool operator>=(const iterator_name& i) const                     \
+            { return m_cur >= i.m_cur; }                                    \
+                                                                            \
+      private:                                                              \
+          /* for internal wxString use only: */                             \
+          underlying_iterator impl() const { return m_cur; }                \
+                                                                            \
+          friend class WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE wxString;                           \
+          friend class WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE wxCStrData;                         \
+                                                                            \
+      private:                                                              \
+          underlying_iterator m_cur
+
+  class const_iterator;
+
+#if wxUSE_UNICODE_UTF8
+  class iterator
+  {
+      // NB: In UTF-8 build, (non-const) iterator needs to keep reference
+      //     to the underlying wxStringImpl, because UTF-8 is variable-length
+      //     encoding and changing the value pointer to by an iterator using
+      //     its operator* requires calling wxStringImpl::replace() if the old
+      //     and new values differ in their encoding's length.

 
 

-#ifdef  WXSTRING_IS_WXOBJECT
-class WXDLLEXPORT wxString : public wxObject
-{
-    DECLARE_DYNAMIC_CLASS(wxString)
-#else   //WXSTRING_IS_WXOBJECT
-class WXDLLEXPORT wxString
-{
-#endif  //WXSTRING_IS_WXOBJECT
+      WX_STR_ITERATOR_IMPL(iterator, wxChar*, wxUniCharRef,
+                           wxUniCharRef::CreateForString(m_str, m_cur));

 
 

-friend class WXDLLEXPORT wxArrayString;
+  public:
+      iterator(const iterator& i) : m_cur(i.m_cur), m_str(i.m_str) {}
+
+      iterator operator+(int n) const
+        { return iterator(m_str, wxStringOperations::AddToIter(m_cur, n)); }
+      iterator operator+(size_t n) const
+        { return iterator(m_str, wxStringOperations::AddToIter(m_cur, (int)n)); }
+      iterator operator-(int n) const
+        { return iterator(m_str, wxStringOperations::AddToIter(m_cur, -n)); }
+      iterator operator-(size_t n) const
+        { return iterator(m_str, wxStringOperations::AddToIter(m_cur, -(int)n)); }
+
+  private:
+      iterator(wxString *str, underlying_iterator ptr)
+          : m_cur(ptr), m_str(str->m_impl) {}
+      iterator(wxStringImpl& str, underlying_iterator ptr)
+          : m_cur(ptr), m_str(str) {}
+
+      wxStringImpl& m_str;
+
+      friend class const_iterator;
+  };
+
+  size_t IterToImplPos(wxString::iterator i) const
+    { return wxStringImpl::const_iterator(i.impl()) - m_impl.begin(); }
+
+#else // !wxUSE_UNICODE_UTF8
+
+  class iterator
+  {
+      WX_STR_ITERATOR_IMPL(iterator, wxChar*, wxUniCharRef,
+                           wxUniCharRef::CreateForString(m_cur));
+
+  public:
+      iterator(const iterator& i) : m_cur(i.m_cur) {}
+
+      iterator operator+(int n) const
+        { return iterator(wxStringOperations::AddToIter(m_cur, n)); }
+      iterator operator+(size_t n) const
+        { return iterator(wxStringOperations::AddToIter(m_cur, (int)n)); }
+      iterator operator-(int n) const
+        { return iterator(wxStringOperations::AddToIter(m_cur, -n)); }
+      iterator operator-(size_t n) const
+        { return iterator(wxStringOperations::AddToIter(m_cur, -(int)n)); }
+
+  private:
+      // for internal wxString use only:
+      iterator(underlying_iterator ptr) : m_cur(ptr) {}
+      iterator(wxString *WXUNUSED(str), underlying_iterator ptr) : m_cur(ptr) {}
+
+      friend class const_iterator;
+  };
+#endif // wxUSE_UNICODE_UTF8/!wxUSE_UNICODE_UTF8
+
+  class const_iterator
+  {
+      // NB: reference_type is intentionally value, not reference, the character
+      //     may be encoded differently in wxString data:
+      WX_STR_ITERATOR_IMPL(const_iterator, const wxChar*, wxUniChar,
+                           wxStringOperations::DecodeChar(m_cur));
+
+  public:
+      const_iterator(const const_iterator& i) : m_cur(i.m_cur) {}
+      const_iterator(const iterator& i) : m_cur(i.m_cur) {}
+
+      const_iterator operator+(int n) const
+        { return const_iterator(wxStringOperations::AddToIter(m_cur, n)); }
+      const_iterator operator+(size_t n) const
+        { return const_iterator(wxStringOperations::AddToIter(m_cur, (int)n)); }
+      const_iterator operator-(int n) const
+        { return const_iterator(wxStringOperations::AddToIter(m_cur, -n)); }
+      const_iterator operator-(size_t n) const
+        { return const_iterator(wxStringOperations::AddToIter(m_cur, -(int)n)); }
+
+  private:
+      // for internal wxString use only:
+      const_iterator(underlying_iterator ptr) : m_cur(ptr) {}
+  };
+
+  #undef WX_STR_ITERATOR_TAG
+  #undef WX_STR_ITERATOR_IMPL
+
+  friend class iterator;
+  friend class const_iterator;
+
+  template <typename T>
+  class reverse_iterator_impl
+  {
+  public:
+      typedef T iterator_type;
+
+      typedef typename T::iterator_category iterator_category;
+      typedef typename T::value_type value_type;
+      typedef typename T::difference_type difference_type;
+      typedef typename T::reference reference;
+      typedef typename T::pointer *pointer;
+
+      reverse_iterator_impl(iterator_type i) : m_cur(i) {}
+      reverse_iterator_impl(const reverse_iterator_impl& ri)
+          : m_cur(ri.m_cur) {}
+
+      iterator_type base() const { return m_cur; }
+
+      reference operator*() const { return *(m_cur-1); }
+      reference operator[](size_t n) const { return *(*this + n); }
+
+      reverse_iterator_impl& operator++()
+        { --m_cur; return *this; }
+      reverse_iterator_impl operator++(int)
+        { reverse_iterator_impl tmp = *this; --m_cur; return tmp; }
+      reverse_iterator_impl& operator--()
+        { ++m_cur; return *this; }
+      reverse_iterator_impl operator--(int)
+        { reverse_iterator_impl tmp = *this; ++m_cur; return tmp; }
+
+      // NB: explicit <T> in the functions below is to keep BCC 5.5 happy
+      reverse_iterator_impl operator+(int n) const
+        { return reverse_iterator_impl<T>(m_cur - n); }
+      reverse_iterator_impl operator+(size_t n) const
+        { return reverse_iterator_impl<T>(m_cur - n); }
+      reverse_iterator_impl operator-(int n) const
+        { return reverse_iterator_impl<T>(m_cur + n); }
+      reverse_iterator_impl operator-(size_t n) const
+        { return reverse_iterator_impl<T>(m_cur + n); }
+      reverse_iterator_impl operator+=(int n)
+        { m_cur -= n; return *this; }
+      reverse_iterator_impl operator+=(size_t n)
+        { m_cur -= n; return *this; }
+      reverse_iterator_impl operator-=(int n)
+        { m_cur += n; return *this; }
+      reverse_iterator_impl operator-=(size_t n)
+        { m_cur += n; return *this; }
+
+      unsigned operator-(const reverse_iterator_impl& i) const
+        { return i.m_cur - m_cur; }
+
+      bool operator==(const reverse_iterator_impl& ri) const
+        { return m_cur == ri.m_cur; }
+      bool operator!=(const reverse_iterator_impl& ri) const
+        { return !(*this == ri); }
+
+      bool operator<(const reverse_iterator_impl& i) const
+        { return m_cur > i.m_cur; }
+      bool operator>(const reverse_iterator_impl& i) const
+        { return m_cur < i.m_cur; }
+      bool operator<=(const reverse_iterator_impl& i) const
+        { return m_cur >= i.m_cur; }
+      bool operator>=(const reverse_iterator_impl& i) const
+        { return m_cur <= i.m_cur; }
+
+  private:
+      iterator_type m_cur;
+  };
+
+  typedef reverse_iterator_impl<iterator> reverse_iterator;
+  typedef reverse_iterator_impl<const_iterator> const_reverse_iterator;

 
 

-  // NB: special care was taken in arranging the member functions in such order
-  //     that all inline functions can be effectively inlined, verify that all
-  //     performace critical functions are still inlined if you change order!

 private:
 private:

-  // points to data preceded by wxStringData structure with ref count info
-  wxChar *m_pchData;
-
-  // accessor to string data
-  wxStringData* GetStringData() const { return (wxStringData*)m_pchData - 1; }
-
-  // string (re)initialization functions
-    // initializes the string to the empty value (must be called only from
-    // ctors, use Reinit() otherwise)
-  void Init() { m_pchData = (wxChar *)g_szNul; }
-    // initializaes the string with (a part of) C-string
-  void InitWith(const wxChar *psz, size_t nPos = 0, size_t nLen = wxSTRING_MAXLEN);
-    // as Init, but also frees old data
-  void Reinit() { GetStringData()->Unlock(); Init(); }
-
-  // memory allocation
-    // allocates memory for string of lenght nLen
-  void AllocBuffer(size_t nLen);
-    // copies data to another string
-  void AllocCopy(wxString&, int, int) const;
-    // effectively copies data to string
-  void AssignCopy(size_t, const wxChar *);
-
-  // append a (sub)string
-  void ConcatSelf(int nLen, const wxChar *src);
-
-  // functions called before writing to the string: they copy it if there
-  // are other references to our data (should be the only owner when writing)
-  void CopyBeforeWrite();
-  void AllocBeforeWrite(size_t);
-
-  // this method is not implemented - there is _no_ conversion from int to
-  // string, you're doing something wrong if the compiler wants to call it!
-  //
-  // try `s << i' or `s.Printf("%d", i)' instead
-  wxString(int);
-  wxString(long);
+  // used to transform an expression built using c_str() (and hence of type
+  // wxCStrData) to an iterator into the string
+  static const_iterator CreateConstIterator(const wxCStrData& data)
+  {
+      return const_iterator(data.m_str->begin() + data.m_offset);
+  }
+
+  // in UTF-8 STL build, creation from std::string requires conversion under
+  // non-UTF8 locales, so we can't have and use wxString(wxStringImpl) ctor;
+  // instead we define dummy type that lets us have wxString ctor for creation
+  // from wxStringImpl that couldn't be used by user code (in all other builds,
+  // "standard" ctors can be used):
+#if wxUSE_UNICODE_UTF8 && wxUSE_STL_BASED_WXSTRING
+  struct CtorFromStringImplTag {};
+
+  wxString(CtorFromStringImplTag* WXUNUSED(dummy), const wxStringImpl& src)
+      : m_impl(src) {}
+
+  static wxString FromImpl(const wxStringImpl& src)
+      { return wxString((CtorFromStringImplTag*)NULL, src); }
+#else
+  #if !wxUSE_STL_BASED_WXSTRING
+  wxString(const wxStringImpl& src) : m_impl(src) { }
+  // else: already defined as wxString(wxStdString) below
+  #endif
+  static wxString FromImpl(const wxStringImpl& src) { return wxString(src); }
+#endif

 
 public:
   // constructors and destructor
     // ctor for an empty string
 
 public:
   // constructors and destructor
     // ctor for an empty string

-  wxString() { Init(); }
+  wxString() {}
+

     // copy ctor
     // copy ctor

-  wxString(const wxString& stringSrc)
+  wxString(const wxString& stringSrc) : m_impl(stringSrc.m_impl) { }
+
+    // string containing nRepeat copies of ch
+  wxString(wxUniChar ch, size_t nRepeat = 1)
+    { assign(nRepeat, ch); }
+  wxString(size_t nRepeat, wxUniChar ch)
+    { assign(nRepeat, ch); }
+  wxString(wxUniCharRef ch, size_t nRepeat = 1)
+    { assign(nRepeat, ch); }
+  wxString(size_t nRepeat, wxUniCharRef ch)
+    { assign(nRepeat, ch); }
+  wxString(char ch, size_t nRepeat = 1)
+    { assign(nRepeat, ch); }
+  wxString(size_t nRepeat, char ch)
+    { assign(nRepeat, ch); }
+  wxString(wchar_t ch, size_t nRepeat = 1)
+    { assign(nRepeat, ch); }
+  wxString(size_t nRepeat, wchar_t ch)
+    { assign(nRepeat, ch); }
+
+    // ctors from char* strings:
+  wxString(const char *psz)
+    : m_impl(ImplStr(psz)) {}
+  wxString(const char *psz, const wxMBConv& conv)
+    : m_impl(ImplStr(psz, conv)) {}
+  wxString(const char *psz, size_t nLength)
+    { assign(psz, nLength); }
+  wxString(const char *psz, const wxMBConv& conv, size_t nLength)

   {
   {

-    wxASSERT( stringSrc.GetStringData()->IsValid() );
+    SubstrBufFromMB str(ImplStr(psz, nLength, conv));
+    m_impl.assign(str.data, str.len);
+  }

 
 

-    if ( stringSrc.IsEmpty() ) {
-      // nothing to do for an empty string
-      Init();
-    }
-    else {
-      m_pchData = stringSrc.m_pchData;            // share same data
-      GetStringData()->Lock();                    // => one more copy
-    }
+    // and unsigned char*:
+  wxString(const unsigned char *psz)
+    : m_impl(ImplStr((const char*)psz)) {}
+  wxString(const unsigned char *psz, const wxMBConv& conv)
+    : m_impl(ImplStr((const char*)psz, conv)) {}
+  wxString(const unsigned char *psz, size_t nLength)
+    { assign((const char*)psz, nLength); }
+  wxString(const unsigned char *psz, const wxMBConv& conv, size_t nLength)
+  {
+    SubstrBufFromMB str(ImplStr((const char*)psz, nLength, conv));
+    m_impl.assign(str.data, str.len);

   }
   }

-    // string containing nRepeat copies of ch
-  wxString(wxChar ch, size_t nRepeat = 1);
-    // ctor takes first nLength characters from C string
-    // (default value of wxSTRING_MAXLEN means take all the string)
-  wxString(const wxChar *psz, size_t nLength = wxSTRING_MAXLEN)
-    { InitWith(psz, 0, nLength); }
-#if wxUSE_UNICODE
-    // from multibyte string
-    // (NB: nLength is right now number of Unicode characters, not
-    //  characters in psz! So try not to use it yet!)
-  wxString(const char *psz, wxMBConv& conv = wxConvLibc, size_t nLength = wxSTRING_MAXLEN);
-    // from wxWCharBuffer (i.e. return from wxGetString)
-  wxString(const wxWCharBuffer& psz)
-    { InitWith(psz, 0, wxSTRING_MAXLEN); }
+
+    // ctors from wchar_t* strings:
+  wxString(const wchar_t *pwz)
+    : m_impl(ImplStr(pwz)) {}
+  wxString(const wchar_t *pwz, const wxMBConv& WXUNUSED(conv))
+    : m_impl(ImplStr(pwz)) {}
+  wxString(const wchar_t *pwz, size_t nLength)
+    { assign(pwz, nLength); }
+  wxString(const wchar_t *pwz, const wxMBConv& WXUNUSED(conv), size_t nLength)
+    { assign(pwz, nLength); }
+
+  wxString(const wxCharBuffer& buf)
+    { assign(buf.data()); } // FIXME-UTF8: fix for embedded NUL and buffer length
+  wxString(const wxWCharBuffer& buf)
+    { assign(buf.data()); } // FIXME-UTF8: fix for embedded NUL and buffer length
+
+  wxString(const wxCStrData& cstr)
+      : m_impl(cstr.AsString().m_impl) { }
+
+    // as we provide both ctors with this signature for both char and unsigned
+    // char string, we need to provide one for wxCStrData to resolve ambiguity
+  wxString(const wxCStrData& cstr, size_t nLength)
+      : m_impl(cstr.AsString().Mid(0, nLength).m_impl) {}
+
+    // and because wxString is convertible to wxCStrData and const wxChar *
+    // we also need to provide this one
+  wxString(const wxString& str, size_t nLength)
+      : m_impl(str.Mid(0, nLength).m_impl) {}
+
+  // even if we're not built with wxUSE_STL == 1 it is very convenient to allow
+  // implicit conversions from std::string to wxString and vice verse as this
+  // allows to use the same strings in non-GUI and GUI code, however we don't
+  // want to unconditionally add this ctor as it would make wx lib dependent on
+  // libstdc++ on some Linux versions which is bad, so instead we ask the
+  // client code to define this wxUSE_STD_STRING symbol if they need it
+#if wxUSE_STD_STRING
+  #if wxUSE_UNICODE_WCHAR
+    wxString(const wxStdWideString& str) : m_impl(str) {}
+  #else // UTF-8 or ANSI
+    wxString(const wxStdWideString& str)
+        { assign(str.c_str(), str.length()); }
+  #endif
+
+  #if !wxUSE_UNICODE // ANSI build
+    // FIXME-UTF8: do this in UTF8 build #if wxUSE_UTF8_LOCALE_ONLY, too
+    wxString(const std::string& str) : m_impl(str) {}
+  #else // Unicode
+    wxString(const std::string& str)
+        { assign(str.c_str(), str.length()); }
+  #endif
+
+  #if wxUSE_UNICODE_WCHAR && wxUSE_STL_BASED_WXSTRING
+    // wxStringImpl is std::string in the encoding we want
+    operator const wxStdWideString&() const { return m_impl; }
+  #else
+    // wxStringImpl is either not std::string or needs conversion
+    operator wxStdWideString() const
+        // FIXME-UTF8: broken for embedded NULs
+        { return wxStdWideString(wc_str()); }
+  #endif
+
+  #if !wxUSE_UNICODE && wxUSE_STL_BASED_WXSTRING
+    // FIXME-UTF8: do this in UTF8 build #if wxUSE_UTF8_LOCALE_ONLY, too
+    // wxStringImpl is std::string in the encoding we want
+    operator const std::string&() const { return m_impl; }
+  #else
+    // wxStringImpl is either not std::string or needs conversion
+    operator std::string() const
+        // FIXME-UTF8: broken for embedded NULs
+        { return std::string(mb_str()); }
+  #endif
+
+#endif // wxUSE_STD_STRING
+
+  // first valid index position
+  const_iterator begin() const { return const_iterator(m_impl.begin()); }
+  iterator begin() { return iterator(this, m_impl.begin()); }
+  // position one after the last valid one
+  const_iterator end() const { return const_iterator(m_impl.end()); }
+  iterator end() { return iterator(this, m_impl.end()); }
+
+  // first element of the reversed string
+  const_reverse_iterator rbegin() const
+    { return const_reverse_iterator(end()); }
+  reverse_iterator rbegin()
+    { return reverse_iterator(end()); }
+  // one beyond the end of the reversed string
+  const_reverse_iterator rend() const
+    { return const_reverse_iterator(begin()); }
+  reverse_iterator rend()
+    { return reverse_iterator(begin()); }
+
+  // std::string methods:
+#if wxUSE_UNICODE_UTF8
+  size_t length() const { return end() - begin(); } // FIXME-UTF8: optimize!

 #else
 #else

-    // from C string (for compilers using unsigned char)
-  wxString(const unsigned char* psz, size_t nLength = wxSTRING_MAXLEN)
-    { InitWith((const char*)psz, 0, nLength); }
-    // from multibyte string
-  wxString(const char *psz, wxMBConv& WXUNUSED(conv), size_t nLength = wxSTRING_MAXLEN)
-    { InitWith(psz, 0, nLength); }
-#if wxUSE_WCHAR_T
-    // from wide (Unicode) string
-  wxString(const wchar_t *pwz);
+  size_t length() const { return m_impl.length(); }

 #endif
 #endif

-    // from wxCharBuffer
-  wxString(const wxCharBuffer& psz)
-    { InitWith(psz, 0, wxSTRING_MAXLEN); }
+
+  size_type size() const { return length(); }
+  size_type max_size() const { return npos; }
+
+  bool empty() const { return m_impl.empty(); }
+
+  size_type capacity() const { return m_impl.capacity(); } // FIXME-UTF8
+  void reserve(size_t sz) { m_impl.reserve(sz); } // FIXME-UTF8
+
+  void resize(size_t nSize, wxUniChar ch = wxT('\0'))
+  {
+#if wxUSE_UNICODE_UTF8
+    if ( !ch.IsAscii() )
+    {
+        size_t len = length();
+        if ( nSize == len)
+            return;
+        else if ( nSize < len )
+            erase(nSize);
+        else
+            append(nSize - len, ch);
+    }
+    else

 #endif
 #endif

-    // dtor is not virtual, this class must not be inherited from!
- ~wxString() { GetStringData()->Unlock(); }
+        m_impl.resize(nSize, (wxStringCharType)ch);
+  }
+
+  wxString substr(size_t nStart = 0, size_t nLen = npos) const
+  {
+    size_t pos, len;
+    PosLenToImpl(nStart, nLen, &pos, &len);
+    return FromImpl(m_impl.substr(pos, len));
+  }

 
   // generic attributes & operations
     // as standard strlen()
 
   // generic attributes & operations
     // as standard strlen()

-  size_t Len() const { return GetStringData()->nDataLength; }
+  size_t Len() const { return length(); }

     // string contains any characters?
     // string contains any characters?

-  bool IsEmpty() const { return Len() == 0; }
-    // empty string is "FALSE", so !str will return TRUE
-  bool operator!() const { return IsEmpty(); }
+  bool IsEmpty() const { return empty(); }
+    // empty string is "false", so !str will return true
+  bool operator!() const { return empty(); }
+    // truncate the string to given length
+  wxString& Truncate(size_t uiLen);

     // empty string contents
   void Empty()
   {
     // empty string contents
   void Empty()
   {

-    if ( !IsEmpty() )
-      Reinit();
+    Truncate(0);

 
 

-    // should be empty
-    wxASSERT( GetStringData()->nDataLength == 0 );
+    wxASSERT_MSG( empty(), _T("string not empty after call to Empty()?") );

   }
     // empty the string and free memory
   void Clear()
   {
   }
     // empty the string and free memory
   void Clear()
   {

-    if ( !GetStringData()->IsEmpty() )
-      Reinit();
-
-    wxASSERT( GetStringData()->nDataLength == 0 );  // should be empty
-    wxASSERT( GetStringData()->nAllocLength == 0 ); // and not own any memory
+    wxString tmp(wxEmptyString);
+    swap(tmp);

   }
 
   // contents test
   }
 
   // contents test


@@ -430,84 +1027,191 @@ public:
 
   // data access (all indexes are 0 based)
     // read access
 
   // data access (all indexes are 0 based)
     // read access

-    wxChar  GetChar(size_t n) const
-      { ASSERT_VALID_INDEX( n );  return m_pchData[n]; }
+    wxUniChar at(size_t n) const
+      { return *(begin() + n); } // FIXME-UTF8: optimize?
+    wxUniChar GetChar(size_t n) const
+      { return at(n); }

     // read/write access
     // read/write access

-    wxChar& GetWritableChar(size_t n)
-      { ASSERT_VALID_INDEX( n ); CopyBeforeWrite(); return m_pchData[n]; }
+    wxUniCharRef at(size_t n)
+      { return *(begin() + n); } // FIXME-UTF8: optimize?
+    wxUniCharRef GetWritableChar(size_t n)
+      { return at(n); }

     // write access
     // write access

-    void  SetChar(size_t n, wxChar ch)
-      { ASSERT_VALID_INDEX( n ); CopyBeforeWrite(); m_pchData[n] = ch; }
+    void  SetChar(size_t n, wxUniChar ch)
+      { at(n) = ch; }

 
     // get last character
 
     // get last character

-    wxChar  Last() const
-      { wxASSERT( !IsEmpty() ); return m_pchData[Len() - 1]; }
+    wxUniChar Last() const
+      {
+          wxASSERT_MSG( !empty(), _T("wxString: index out of bounds") );
+
+          return at(length() - 1);
+      }
+

     // get writable last character
     // get writable last character

-    wxChar& Last()
-      { wxASSERT( !IsEmpty() ); CopyBeforeWrite(); return m_pchData[Len()-1]; }
-
-    // under Unix it is tested with configure, assume it works on other
-    // platforms (there might be overloading problems if size_t and int are
-    // the same type)
-#if !defined(__UNIX__) || wxUSE_SIZE_T_STRING_OPERATOR
-    // operator version of GetChar
-    wxChar  operator[](size_t n) const
-      { ASSERT_VALID_INDEX( n ); return m_pchData[n]; }
-#endif
+    wxUniCharRef Last()
+      {
+          wxASSERT_MSG( !empty(), _T("wxString: index out of bounds") );
+          return at(length() - 1);
+      }

 
 

-    // operator version of GetChar
-    wxChar  operator[](int n) const
-      { ASSERT_VALID_INDEX( n ); return m_pchData[n]; }
-    // operator version of GetWritableChar
-    wxChar& operator[](size_t n)
-      { ASSERT_VALID_INDEX( n ); CopyBeforeWrite(); return m_pchData[n]; }
+    /*
+       Note that we we must define all of the overloads below to avoid
+       ambiguity when using str[0].
+     */
+    wxUniChar operator[](int n) const
+      { return at(n); }
+    wxUniChar operator[](long n) const
+      { return at(n); }
+    wxUniChar operator[](size_t n) const
+      { return at(n); }
+#ifndef wxSIZE_T_IS_UINT
+    wxUniChar operator[](unsigned int n) const
+      { return at(n); }
+#endif // size_t != unsigned int
+
+    // operator versions of GetWriteableChar()
+    wxUniCharRef operator[](int n)
+      { return at(n); }
+    wxUniCharRef operator[](long n)
+      { return at(n); }
+    wxUniCharRef operator[](size_t n)
+      { return at(n); }
+#ifndef wxSIZE_T_IS_UINT
+    wxUniCharRef operator[](unsigned int n)
+      { return at(n); }
+#endif // size_t != unsigned int

 
 

-    // implicit conversion to C string
-    operator const wxChar*() const { return m_pchData; }

     // explicit conversion to C string (use this with printf()!)
     // explicit conversion to C string (use this with printf()!)

-    const wxChar* c_str()   const { return m_pchData; }
-    // (and this with [wx]Printf()!)
-    const wxChar* wx_str()  const { return m_pchData; }
+    wxCStrData c_str() const { return wxCStrData(this); }
+    wxCStrData data() const { return c_str(); }
+
+    // implicit conversion to C string
+    operator wxCStrData() const { return c_str(); }
+    operator const char*() const { return c_str(); }
+    operator const wchar_t*() const { return c_str(); }
+
+    // implicit conversion to untyped pointer for compatibility with previous
+    // wxWidgets versions: this is the same as conversion to const char * so it
+    // may fail!
+    operator const void*() const { return c_str(); }
+
+    // identical to c_str(), for MFC compatibility
+    const wxCStrData GetData() const { return c_str(); }
+
+    // explicit conversion to C string in internal representation (char*,
+    // wchar_t*, UTF-8-encoded char*, depending on the build):
+    const wxStringCharType *wx_str() const { return m_impl.c_str(); }
+
+    // conversion to *non-const* multibyte or widestring buffer; modifying
+    // returned buffer won't affect the string, these methods are only useful
+    // for passing values to const-incorrect functions
+    wxWritableCharBuffer char_str(const wxMBConv& conv = wxConvLibc) const
+        { return mb_str(conv); }
+    wxWritableWCharBuffer wchar_str() const { return wc_str(); }
+
+    // conversion to/from plain (i.e. 7 bit) ASCII: this is useful for
+    // converting numbers or strings which are certain not to contain special
+    // chars (typically system functions, X atoms, environment variables etc.)
+    //
+    // the behaviour of these functions with the strings containing anything
+    // else than 7 bit ASCII characters is undefined, use at your own risk.
+#if wxUSE_UNICODE
+    static wxString FromAscii(const char *ascii);  // string
+    static wxString FromAscii(const char ascii);   // char
+    const wxCharBuffer ToAscii() const;
+#else // ANSI
+    static wxString FromAscii(const char *ascii) { return wxString( ascii ); }
+    static wxString FromAscii(const char ascii) { return wxString( ascii ); }
+    const char *ToAscii() const { return c_str(); }
+#endif // Unicode/!Unicode
+
+    // conversions with (possible) format conversions: have to return a
+    // buffer with temporary data

     //
     //

-    const wxChar* GetData() const { return m_pchData; }
+    // the functions defined (in either Unicode or ANSI) mode are mb_str() to
+    // return an ANSI (multibyte) string, wc_str() to return a wide string and
+    // fn_str() to return a string which should be used with the OS APIs
+    // accepting the file names. The return value is always the same, but the
+    // type differs because a function may either return pointer to the buffer
+    // directly or have to use intermediate buffer for translation.

 #if wxUSE_UNICODE
 #if wxUSE_UNICODE

-    const wxCharBuffer mb_str(wxMBConv& conv = wxConvLibc) const { return conv.cWC2MB(m_pchData); }
-    const wxChar* wc_str(wxMBConv& WXUNUSED(conv) = wxConvLibc) const { return m_pchData; }
+    const wxCharBuffer mb_str(const wxMBConv& conv = wxConvLibc) const;
+
+    const wxWX2MBbuf mbc_str() const { return mb_str(*wxConvCurrent); }
+
+#if wxUSE_UNICODE_WCHAR
+    const wxChar* wc_str() const { return wx_str(); }
+#elif wxUSE_UNICODE_UTF8
+    const wxWCharBuffer wc_str() const;
+#endif
+    // for compatibility with !wxUSE_UNICODE version
+    const wxWX2WCbuf wc_str(const wxMBConv& WXUNUSED(conv)) const
+      { return wc_str(); }
+

 #if wxMBFILES
     const wxCharBuffer fn_str() const { return mb_str(wxConvFile); }
 #if wxMBFILES
     const wxCharBuffer fn_str() const { return mb_str(wxConvFile); }

-#else
-    const wxChar* fn_str() const { return m_pchData; }
-#endif
-#else
-    const wxChar* mb_str(wxMBConv& WXUNUSED(conv) = wxConvLibc ) const { return m_pchData; }
+#else // !wxMBFILES
+    const wxWX2WCbuf fn_str() const { return wc_str(); }
+#endif // wxMBFILES/!wxMBFILES
+
+#else // ANSI
+    const wxChar* mb_str() const { return wx_str(); }
+
+    // for compatibility with wxUSE_UNICODE version
+    const wxChar* mb_str(const wxMBConv& WXUNUSED(conv)) const { return wx_str(); }
+
+    const wxWX2MBbuf mbc_str() const { return mb_str(); }
+

 #if wxUSE_WCHAR_T
 #if wxUSE_WCHAR_T

-    const wxWCharBuffer wc_str(wxMBConv& conv) const { return conv.cMB2WC(m_pchData); }
-#endif
-    const wxChar* fn_str() const { return m_pchData; }
+    const wxWCharBuffer wc_str(const wxMBConv& conv = wxConvLibc) const;
+#endif // wxUSE_WCHAR_T
+#ifdef __WXOSX__
+    const wxCharBuffer fn_str() const { return wxConvFile.cWC2WX( wc_str( wxConvLocal ) ); }
+#else
+    const wxChar* fn_str() const { return c_str(); }

 #endif
 #endif

-    // for convenience
-    const wxWX2MBbuf mbc_str() const { return mb_str(*wxConvCurrent); }
+#endif // Unicode/ANSI

 
   // overloaded assignment
     // from another wxString
 
   // overloaded assignment
     // from another wxString

-  wxString& operator=(const wxString& stringSrc);
+  wxString& operator=(const wxString& stringSrc)
+    { m_impl = stringSrc.m_impl; return *this; }
+  wxString& operator=(const wxCStrData& cstr)
+    { return *this = cstr.AsString(); }

     // from a character
     // from a character

-  wxString& operator=(wxChar ch);
-    // from a C string
-  wxString& operator=(const wxChar *psz);
-#if wxUSE_UNICODE
-    // from wxWCharBuffer
-  wxString& operator=(const wxWCharBuffer& psz) { return operator=((const wchar_t *)psz); }
+  wxString& operator=(wxUniChar ch)
+    { m_impl = wxStringOperations::EncodeChar(ch); return *this; }
+  wxString& operator=(wxUniCharRef ch)
+    { return operator=((wxUniChar)ch); }
+  wxString& operator=(char ch)
+    { return operator=(wxUniChar(ch)); }
+  wxString& operator=(unsigned char ch)
+    { return operator=(wxUniChar(ch)); }
+  wxString& operator=(wchar_t ch)
+    { return operator=(wxUniChar(ch)); }
+    // from a C string - STL probably will crash on NULL,
+    // so we need to compensate in that case
+#if wxUSE_STL_BASED_WXSTRING
+  wxString& operator=(const char *psz)
+    { if (psz) m_impl = ImplStr(psz); else Clear(); return *this; }
+  wxString& operator=(const wchar_t *pwz)
+    { if (pwz) m_impl = ImplStr(pwz); else Clear(); return *this; }

 #else
 #else

-    // from another kind of C string
-  wxString& operator=(const unsigned char* psz);
-#if wxUSE_WCHAR_T
-    // from a wide string
-  wxString& operator=(const wchar_t *pwz);
+  wxString& operator=(const char *psz)
+    { m_impl = ImplStr(psz); return *this; }
+  wxString& operator=(const wchar_t *pwz)
+    { m_impl = ImplStr(pwz); return *this; }

 #endif
 #endif

+  wxString& operator=(const unsigned char *psz)
+    { return operator=((const char*)psz); }
+
+    // from wxWCharBuffer
+  wxString& operator=(const wxWCharBuffer& s)
+    { return operator=(s.data()); } // FIXME-UTF8: fix for embedded NULs

     // from wxCharBuffer
     // from wxCharBuffer

-  wxString& operator=(const wxCharBuffer& psz) { return operator=((const char *)psz); }
-#endif
+  wxString& operator=(const wxCharBuffer& s)
+    { return operator=(s.data()); } // FIXME-UTF8: fix for embedded NULs

 
   // string concatenation
     // in place concatenation
 
   // string concatenation
     // in place concatenation


@@ -519,103 +1223,206 @@ public:
       // string += string
   wxString& operator<<(const wxString& s)
   {
       // string += string
   wxString& operator<<(const wxString& s)
   {

-    wxASSERT( s.GetStringData()->IsValid() );
+#if WXWIN_COMPATIBILITY_2_8 && !wxUSE_STL_BASED_WXSTRING && !wxUSE_UNICODE_UTF8
+    wxASSERT_MSG( s.IsValid(),
+                  _T("did you forget to call UngetWriteBuf()?") );
+#endif

 
 

-    ConcatSelf(s.Len(), s);
+    append(s);

     return *this;
   }
       // string += C string
     return *this;
   }
       // string += C string

-  wxString& operator<<(const wxChar *psz)
-    { ConcatSelf(wxStrlen(psz), psz); return *this; }
-      // string += char
-  wxString& operator<<(wxChar ch) { ConcatSelf(1, &ch); return *this; }
-
-      // string += string
-  void operator+=(const wxString& s) { (void)operator<<(s); }
-      // string += C string
-  void operator+=(const wxChar *psz) { (void)operator<<(psz); }
+  wxString& operator<<(const char *psz)
+    { append(psz); return *this; }
+  wxString& operator<<(const wchar_t *pwz)
+    { append(pwz); return *this; }
+  wxString& operator<<(const wxCStrData& psz)
+    { append(psz.AsString()); return *this; }

       // string += char
       // string += char

-  void operator+=(wxChar ch) { (void)operator<<(ch); }
+  wxString& operator<<(wxUniChar ch) { append(1, ch); return *this; }
+  wxString& operator<<(wxUniCharRef ch) { append(1, ch); return *this; }
+  wxString& operator<<(char ch) { append(1, ch); return *this; }
+  wxString& operator<<(unsigned char ch) { append(1, ch); return *this; }
+  wxString& operator<<(wchar_t ch) { append(1, ch); return *this; }

 
       // string += buffer (i.e. from wxGetString)
 
       // string += buffer (i.e. from wxGetString)

-#if wxUSE_UNICODE
-  wxString& operator<<(const wxWCharBuffer& s) { (void)operator<<((const wchar_t *)s); return *this; }
-  void operator+=(const wxWCharBuffer& s) { (void)operator<<((const wchar_t *)s); }
-#else
-  wxString& operator<<(const wxCharBuffer& s) { (void)operator<<((const char *)s); return *this; }
-  void operator+=(const wxCharBuffer& s) { (void)operator<<((const char *)s); }
-#endif
+  wxString& operator<<(const wxWCharBuffer& s)
+    { return operator<<((const wchar_t *)s); }
+  wxString& operator+=(const wxWCharBuffer& s)
+    { return operator<<((const wchar_t *)s); }
+
+  wxString& operator<<(const wxCharBuffer& s)
+    { return operator<<((const char *)s); }
+  wxString& operator+=(const wxCharBuffer& s)
+    { return operator<<((const char *)s); }

 
     // string += C string
 
     // string += C string

-  wxString& Append(const wxChar* psz)
-    { ConcatSelf(wxStrlen(psz), psz); return *this; }
+  wxString& Append(const wxString& s)
+    {
+        // test for empty() to share the string if possible
+        if ( empty() )
+            *this = s;
+        else
+            append(s);
+        return *this;
+    }
+  wxString& Append(const wxCStrData& psz)
+    { append(psz); return *this; }
+  wxString& Append(const char* psz)
+    { append(psz); return *this; }
+  wxString& Append(const wchar_t* pwz)
+    { append(pwz); return *this; }

     // append count copies of given character
     // append count copies of given character

-  wxString& Append(wxChar ch, size_t count = 1u)
-    { wxString str(ch, count); return *this << str; }
+  wxString& Append(wxUniChar ch, size_t count = 1u)
+    { append(count, ch); return *this; }
+  wxString& Append(wxUniCharRef ch, size_t count = 1u)
+    { append(count, ch); return *this; }
+  wxString& Append(char ch, size_t count = 1u)
+    { append(count, ch); return *this; }
+  wxString& Append(unsigned char ch, size_t count = 1u)
+    { append(count, ch); return *this; }
+  wxString& Append(wchar_t ch, size_t count = 1u)
+    { append(count, ch); return *this; }
+  wxString& Append(const char* psz, size_t nLen)
+    { append(psz, nLen); return *this; }
+  wxString& Append(const wchar_t* pwz, size_t nLen)
+    { append(pwz, nLen); return *this; }

 
     // prepend a string, return the string itself
   wxString& Prepend(const wxString& str)
     { *this = str + *this; return *this; }
 
     // non-destructive concatenation
 
     // prepend a string, return the string itself
   wxString& Prepend(const wxString& str)
     { *this = str + *this; return *this; }
 
     // non-destructive concatenation

-      //
-  friend wxString WXDLLEXPORT operator+(const wxString& string1,  const wxString& string2);
-      //
-  friend wxString WXDLLEXPORT operator+(const wxString& string, wxChar ch);
-      //
-  friend wxString WXDLLEXPORT operator+(wxChar ch, const wxString& string);
-      //
-  friend wxString WXDLLEXPORT operator+(const wxString& string, const wxChar *psz);
-      //
-  friend wxString WXDLLEXPORT operator+(const wxChar *psz, const wxString& string);
+      // two strings
+  friend wxString WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE operator+(const wxString& string1,
+                                             const wxString& string2);
+      // string with a single char
+  friend wxString WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE operator+(const wxString& string, wxUniChar ch);
+      // char with a string
+  friend wxString WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE operator+(wxUniChar ch, const wxString& string);
+      // string with C string
+  friend wxString WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE operator+(const wxString& string,
+                                             const char *psz);
+  friend wxString WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE operator+(const wxString& string,
+                                             const wchar_t *pwz);
+      // C string with string
+  friend wxString WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE operator+(const char *psz,
+                                             const wxString& string);
+  friend wxString WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE operator+(const wchar_t *pwz,
+                                             const wxString& string);

 
   // stream-like functions
       // insert an int into string
 
   // stream-like functions
       // insert an int into string

-  wxString& operator<<(int i);
+  wxString& operator<<(int i)
+    { return (*this) << Format(_T("%d"), i); }
+      // insert an unsigned int into string
+  wxString& operator<<(unsigned int ui)
+    { return (*this) << Format(_T("%u"), ui); }
+      // insert a long into string
+  wxString& operator<<(long l)
+    { return (*this) << Format(_T("%ld"), l); }
+      // insert an unsigned long into string
+  wxString& operator<<(unsigned long ul)
+    { return (*this) << Format(_T("%lu"), ul); }
+#if defined wxLongLong_t && !defined wxLongLongIsLong
+      // insert a long long if they exist and aren't longs
+  wxString& operator<<(wxLongLong_t ll)
+    {
+      const wxChar *fmt = _T("%") wxLongLongFmtSpec _T("d");
+      return (*this) << Format(fmt, ll);
+    }
+      // insert an unsigned long long
+  wxString& operator<<(wxULongLong_t ull)
+    {
+      const wxChar *fmt = _T("%") wxLongLongFmtSpec _T("u");
+      return (*this) << Format(fmt , ull);
+    }
+#endif

       // insert a float into string
       // insert a float into string

-  wxString& operator<<(float f);
+  wxString& operator<<(float f)
+    { return (*this) << Format(_T("%f"), f); }

       // insert a double into string
       // insert a double into string

-  wxString& operator<<(double d);
+  wxString& operator<<(double d)
+    { return (*this) << Format(_T("%g"), d); }

 
   // string comparison
     // case-sensitive comparison (returns a value < 0, = 0 or > 0)
 
   // string comparison
     // case-sensitive comparison (returns a value < 0, = 0 or > 0)

-  int  Cmp(const wxChar *psz) const { return wxStrcmp(c_str(), psz); }
+  int Cmp(const char *psz) const
+    { return compare(psz); }
+  int Cmp(const wchar_t *pwz) const
+    { return compare(pwz); }
+  int Cmp(const wxString& s) const
+    { return compare(s); }

     // same as Cmp() but not case-sensitive
     // same as Cmp() but not case-sensitive

-  int  CmpNoCase(const wxChar *psz) const { return wxStricmp(c_str(), psz); }
+  int CmpNoCase(const wxString& s) const;
+  int CmpNoCase(const char *psz) const
+    { return CmpNoCase(wxString(psz)); }
+  int CmpNoCase(const wchar_t *pwz) const
+    { return CmpNoCase(wxString(pwz)); }

     // test for the string equality, either considering case or not
     // (if compareWithCase then the case matters)
     // test for the string equality, either considering case or not
     // (if compareWithCase then the case matters)

-  bool IsSameAs(const wxChar *psz, bool compareWithCase = TRUE) const
-    { return (compareWithCase ? Cmp(psz) : CmpNoCase(psz)) == 0; }
+  bool IsSameAs(const wxString& str, bool compareWithCase = true) const
+    { return (compareWithCase ? Cmp(str) : CmpNoCase(str)) == 0; }
+  bool IsSameAs(const char *str, bool compareWithCase = true) const
+    { return (compareWithCase ? Cmp(str) : CmpNoCase(str)) == 0; }
+  bool IsSameAs(const wchar_t *str, bool compareWithCase = true) const
+    { return (compareWithCase ? Cmp(str) : CmpNoCase(str)) == 0; }
+    // comparison with a single character: returns true if equal
+  bool IsSameAs(wxUniChar c, bool compareWithCase = true) const
+    {
+      return (length() == 1) && (compareWithCase ? GetChar(0u) == c
+                              : wxToupper(GetChar(0u)) == wxToupper(c));
+    }
+  // FIXME-UTF8: remove these overloads
+  bool IsSameAs(wxUniCharRef c, bool compareWithCase = true) const
+    { return IsSameAs(wxUniChar(c), compareWithCase); }
+  bool IsSameAs(char c, bool compareWithCase = true) const
+    { return IsSameAs(wxUniChar(c), compareWithCase); }
+  bool IsSameAs(unsigned char c, bool compareWithCase = true) const
+    { return IsSameAs(wxUniChar(c), compareWithCase); }
+  bool IsSameAs(wchar_t c, bool compareWithCase = true) const
+    { return IsSameAs(wxUniChar(c), compareWithCase); }
+  bool IsSameAs(int c, bool compareWithCase = true) const
+    { return IsSameAs(wxUniChar(c), compareWithCase); }

 
   // simple sub-string extraction
       // return substring starting at nFirst of length nCount (or till the end
       // if nCount = default value)
 
   // simple sub-string extraction
       // return substring starting at nFirst of length nCount (or till the end
       // if nCount = default value)

-  wxString Mid(size_t nFirst, size_t nCount = wxSTRING_MAXLEN) const;
+  wxString Mid(size_t nFirst, size_t nCount = npos) const;

 
 

-    // operator version of Mid()
+      // operator version of Mid()

   wxString  operator()(size_t start, size_t len) const
     { return Mid(start, len); }
 
   wxString  operator()(size_t start, size_t len) const
     { return Mid(start, len); }
 

+      // check if the string starts with the given prefix and return the rest
+      // of the string in the provided pointer if it is not NULL; otherwise
+      // return false
+  bool StartsWith(const wxChar *prefix, wxString *rest = NULL) const;
+      // check if the string ends with the given suffix and return the
+      // beginning of the string before the suffix in the provided pointer if
+      // it is not NULL; otherwise return false
+  bool EndsWith(const wxChar *suffix, wxString *rest = NULL) const;
+

       // get first nCount characters
   wxString Left(size_t nCount) const;
       // get last nCount characters
   wxString Right(size_t nCount) const;
       // get first nCount characters
   wxString Left(size_t nCount) const;
       // get last nCount characters
   wxString Right(size_t nCount) const;

-      // get all characters before the first occurence of ch
+      // get all characters before the first occurance of ch

       // (returns the whole string if ch not found)
       // (returns the whole string if ch not found)

-  wxString BeforeFirst(wxChar ch) const;
+  wxString BeforeFirst(wxUniChar ch) const;

       // get all characters before the last occurence of ch
       // (returns empty string if ch not found)
       // get all characters before the last occurence of ch
       // (returns empty string if ch not found)

-  wxString BeforeLast(wxChar ch) const;
+  wxString BeforeLast(wxUniChar ch) const;

       // get all characters after the first occurence of ch
       // (returns empty string if ch not found)
       // get all characters after the first occurence of ch
       // (returns empty string if ch not found)

-  wxString AfterFirst(wxChar ch) const;
+  wxString AfterFirst(wxUniChar ch) const;

       // get all characters after the last occurence of ch
       // (returns the whole string if ch not found)
       // get all characters after the last occurence of ch
       // (returns the whole string if ch not found)

-  wxString AfterLast(wxChar ch) const;
+  wxString AfterLast(wxUniChar ch) const;

 
     // for compatibility only, use more explicitly named functions above
 
     // for compatibility only, use more explicitly named functions above

-  wxString Before(wxChar ch) const { return BeforeLast(ch); }
-  wxString After(wxChar ch) const { return AfterFirst(ch); }
+  wxString Before(wxUniChar ch) const { return BeforeLast(ch); }
+  wxString After(wxUniChar ch) const { return AfterFirst(ch); }

 
   // case conversion
       // convert to upper case in place, return the string itself
 
   // case conversion
       // convert to upper case in place, return the string itself


@@ -630,46 +1437,115 @@ public:
 
   // trimming/padding whitespace (either side) and truncating
       // remove spaces from left or from right (default) side
 
   // trimming/padding whitespace (either side) and truncating
       // remove spaces from left or from right (default) side

-  wxString& Trim(bool bFromRight = TRUE);
+  wxString& Trim(bool bFromRight = true);

       // add nCount copies chPad in the beginning or at the end (default)
       // add nCount copies chPad in the beginning or at the end (default)

-  wxString& Pad(size_t nCount, wxChar chPad = _T(' '), bool bFromRight = TRUE);
-      // truncate string to given length
-  wxString& Truncate(size_t uiLen);
+  wxString& Pad(size_t nCount, wxUniChar chPad = wxT(' '), bool bFromRight = true);

 
   // searching and replacing
       // searching (return starting index, or -1 if not found)
 
   // searching and replacing
       // searching (return starting index, or -1 if not found)

-  int Find(wxChar ch, bool bFromEnd = FALSE) const;   // like strchr/strrchr
+  int Find(wxUniChar ch, bool bFromEnd = false) const;   // like strchr/strrchr
+  int Find(wxUniCharRef ch, bool bFromEnd = false) const
+    { return Find(wxUniChar(ch), bFromEnd); }
+  int Find(char ch, bool bFromEnd = false) const
+    { return Find(wxUniChar(ch), bFromEnd); }
+  int Find(unsigned char ch, bool bFromEnd = false) const
+    { return Find(wxUniChar(ch), bFromEnd); }
+  int Find(wchar_t ch, bool bFromEnd = false) const
+    { return Find(wxUniChar(ch), bFromEnd); }

       // searching (return starting index, or -1 if not found)
       // searching (return starting index, or -1 if not found)

-  int Find(const wxChar *pszSub) const;               // like strstr
+  // FIXME-UTF8: keep wxString overload only
+  int Find(const wxString& sub) const               // like strstr
+  {
+    size_type idx = find(sub);
+    return (idx == npos) ? wxNOT_FOUND : (int)idx;
+  }
+  int Find(const char *sub) const               // like strstr
+  {
+    size_type idx = find(sub);
+    return (idx == npos) ? wxNOT_FOUND : (int)idx;
+  }
+  int Find(const wchar_t *sub) const               // like strstr
+  {
+    size_type idx = find(sub);
+    return (idx == npos) ? wxNOT_FOUND : (int)idx;
+  }
+

       // replace first (or all of bReplaceAll) occurences of substring with
       // another string, returns the number of replacements made
       // replace first (or all of bReplaceAll) occurences of substring with
       // another string, returns the number of replacements made

-  size_t Replace(const wxChar *szOld,
-                 const wxChar *szNew,
-                 bool bReplaceAll = TRUE);
+  size_t Replace(const wxString& strOld,
+                 const wxString& strNew,
+                 bool bReplaceAll = true);

 
     // check if the string contents matches a mask containing '*' and '?'
 
     // check if the string contents matches a mask containing '*' and '?'

-  bool Matches(const wxChar *szMask) const;
-
-  // formated input/output
+  bool Matches(const wxString& mask) const;
+
+    // conversion to numbers: all functions return true only if the whole
+    // string is a number and put the value of this number into the pointer
+    // provided, the base is the numeric base in which the conversion should be
+    // done and must be comprised between 2 and 36 or be 0 in which case the
+    // standard C rules apply (leading '0' => octal, "0x" => hex)
+        // convert to a signed integer
+    bool ToLong(long *val, int base = 10) const;
+        // convert to an unsigned integer
+    bool ToULong(unsigned long *val, int base = 10) const;
+        // convert to wxLongLong
+#if defined(wxLongLong_t)
+    bool ToLongLong(wxLongLong_t *val, int base = 10) const;
+        // convert to wxULongLong
+    bool ToULongLong(wxULongLong_t *val, int base = 10) const;
+#endif // wxLongLong_t
+        // convert to a double
+    bool ToDouble(double *val) const;
+
+
+#ifndef wxNEEDS_WXSTRING_PRINTF_MIXIN
+  // formatted input/output

     // as sprintf(), returns the number of characters written or < 0 on error
     // as sprintf(), returns the number of characters written or < 0 on error

-  int Printf(const wxChar *pszFormat, ...);
+    // (take 'this' into account in attribute parameter count)
+  // int Printf(const wxString& format, ...);
+  WX_DEFINE_VARARG_FUNC(int, Printf, 1, (const wxString&), DoPrintf)
+#ifdef __WATCOMC__
+  WX_DEFINE_VARARG_FUNC(int, Printf, 1, (const char*), DoPrintf)
+  WX_DEFINE_VARARG_FUNC(int, Printf, 1, (const wchar_t*), DoPrintf)
+  WX_DEFINE_VARARG_FUNC(int, Printf, 1, (const wxCStrData&), DoPrintf)
+#endif
+#endif // !wxNEEDS_WXSTRING_PRINTF_MIXIN

     // as vprintf(), returns the number of characters written or < 0 on error
     // as vprintf(), returns the number of characters written or < 0 on error

-  int PrintfV(const wxChar* pszFormat, va_list argptr);
+  int PrintfV(const wxString& format, va_list argptr);
+
+#ifndef wxNEEDS_WXSTRING_PRINTF_MIXIN
+    // returns the string containing the result of Printf() to it
+  // static wxString Format(const wxString& format, ...) ATTRIBUTE_PRINTF_1;
+  WX_DEFINE_VARARG_FUNC(static wxString, Format, 1, (const wxString&), DoFormat)
+#ifdef __WATCOMC__
+  // workaround for http://bugzilla.openwatcom.org/show_bug.cgi?id=351
+  WX_DEFINE_VARARG_FUNC(static wxString, Format, 1, (const char*), DoFormat)
+  WX_DEFINE_VARARG_FUNC(static wxString, Format, 1, (const wchar_t*), DoFormat)
+  WX_DEFINE_VARARG_FUNC(static wxString, Format, 1, (const wxCStrData&), DoFormat)
+#endif
+#endif
+    // the same as above, but takes a va_list
+  static wxString FormatV(const wxString& format, va_list argptr);

 
   // raw access to string memory
     // ensure that string has space for at least nLen characters
     // only works if the data of this string is not shared
 
   // raw access to string memory
     // ensure that string has space for at least nLen characters
     // only works if the data of this string is not shared

-  void Alloc(size_t nLen);
+  bool Alloc(size_t nLen) { reserve(nLen); /*return capacity() >= nLen;*/ return true; }

     // minimize the string's memory
     // only works if the data of this string is not shared
     // minimize the string's memory
     // only works if the data of this string is not shared

-  void Shrink();
+  bool Shrink();
+#if WXWIN_COMPATIBILITY_2_8 && !wxUSE_STL_BASED_WXSTRING && !wxUSE_UNICODE_UTF8
+    // These are deprecated, use wxStringBuffer or wxStringBufferLength instead
+    //

     // get writable buffer of at least nLen bytes. Unget() *must* be called
     // a.s.a.p. to put string back in a reasonable state!
     // get writable buffer of at least nLen bytes. Unget() *must* be called
     // a.s.a.p. to put string back in a reasonable state!

-  wxChar *GetWriteBuf(size_t nLen);
+  wxDEPRECATED( wxStringCharType *GetWriteBuf(size_t nLen) );

     // call this immediately after GetWriteBuf() has been used
     // call this immediately after GetWriteBuf() has been used

-  void UngetWriteBuf();
+  wxDEPRECATED( void UngetWriteBuf() );
+  wxDEPRECATED( void UngetWriteBuf(size_t nLen) );
+#endif // WXWIN_COMPATIBILITY_2_8 && !wxUSE_STL_BASED_WXSTRING && wxUSE_UNICODE_UTF8

 
 

-  // wxWindows version 1 compatibility functions
+  // wxWidgets version 1 compatibility functions

 
   // use Mid()
   wxString SubString(size_t from, size_t to) const
 
   // use Mid()
   wxString SubString(size_t from, size_t to) const


@@ -679,17 +1555,27 @@ public:
     // values for first parameter of Strip function
   enum stripType {leading = 0x1, trailing = 0x2, both = 0x3};
 
     // values for first parameter of Strip function
   enum stripType {leading = 0x1, trailing = 0x2, both = 0x3};
 

-    // use Printf()
-  int sprintf(const wxChar *pszFormat, ...);
+#ifndef wxNEEDS_WXSTRING_PRINTF_MIXIN
+  // use Printf()
+  // (take 'this' into account in attribute parameter count)
+  // int sprintf(const wxString& format, ...) ATTRIBUTE_PRINTF_2;
+  WX_DEFINE_VARARG_FUNC(int, sprintf, 1, (const wxString&), DoPrintf)
+#ifdef __WATCOMC__
+  // workaround for http://bugzilla.openwatcom.org/show_bug.cgi?id=351
+  WX_DEFINE_VARARG_FUNC(int, sprintf, 1, (const char*), DoPrintf)
+  WX_DEFINE_VARARG_FUNC(int, sprintf, 1, (const wchar_t*), DoPrintf)
+  WX_DEFINE_VARARG_FUNC(int, sprintf, 1, (const wxCStrData&), DoPrintf)
+#endif
+#endif // wxNEEDS_WXSTRING_PRINTF_MIXIN

 
     // use Cmp()
   inline int CompareTo(const wxChar* psz, caseCompare cmp = exact) const
     { return cmp == exact ? Cmp(psz) : CmpNoCase(psz); }
 
 
     // use Cmp()
   inline int CompareTo(const wxChar* psz, caseCompare cmp = exact) const
     { return cmp == exact ? Cmp(psz) : CmpNoCase(psz); }
 

-    // use Len
-  size_t Length() const { return Len(); }
+    // use length()
+  size_t Length() const { return length(); }

     // Count the number of characters
     // Count the number of characters

-  int Freq(wxChar ch) const;
+  int Freq(wxUniChar ch) const;

     // use MakeLower
   void LowerCase() { MakeLower(); }
     // use MakeUpper
     // use MakeLower
   void LowerCase() { MakeLower(); }
     // use MakeUpper


@@ -699,383 +1585,1183 @@ public:
 
     // use Find (more general variants not yet supported)
   size_t Index(const wxChar* psz) const { return Find(psz); }
 
     // use Find (more general variants not yet supported)
   size_t Index(const wxChar* psz) const { return Find(psz); }

-  size_t Index(wxChar ch)         const { return Find(ch);  }
+  size_t Index(wxUniChar ch)         const { return Find(ch);  }

     // use Truncate
   wxString& Remove(size_t pos) { return Truncate(pos); }
     // use Truncate
   wxString& Remove(size_t pos) { return Truncate(pos); }

-  wxString& RemoveLast() { return Truncate(Len() - 1); }
+  wxString& RemoveLast(size_t n = 1) { return Truncate(length() - n); }

 
 

-  wxString& Remove(size_t nStart, size_t nLen) { return erase( nStart, nLen ); }
+  wxString& Remove(size_t nStart, size_t nLen)
+      { return (wxString&)erase( nStart, nLen ); }

 
     // use Find()
 
     // use Find()

-  int First( const wxChar ch ) const { return Find(ch); }
+  int First( wxUniChar ch ) const { return Find(ch); }
+  int First( wxUniCharRef ch ) const { return Find(ch); }
+  int First( char ch ) const { return Find(ch); }
+  int First( unsigned char ch ) const { return Find(ch); }
+  int First( wchar_t ch ) const { return Find(ch); }

   int First( const wxChar* psz ) const { return Find(psz); }
   int First( const wxChar* psz ) const { return Find(psz); }

-  int First( const wxString &str ) const { return Find(str); }
-  int Last( const wxChar ch ) const { return Find(ch, TRUE); }
-  bool Contains(const wxString& str) const { return Find(str) != -1; }
+  int First( const wxString& str ) const { return Find(str); }
+  int Last( wxUniChar ch ) const { return Find(ch, true); }
+  bool Contains(const wxString& str) const { return Find(str) != wxNOT_FOUND; }

 
 

-    // use IsEmpty()
-  bool IsNull() const { return IsEmpty(); }
+    // use empty()
+  bool IsNull() const { return empty(); }

 
 

-#ifdef  wxSTD_STRING_COMPATIBILITY

   // std::string compatibility functions
 
   // std::string compatibility functions
 

-  // standard types
-  typedef wxChar value_type;
-  typedef const value_type *const_iterator;
-
-  // an 'invalid' value for string index
-  static const size_t npos;
-
-  // constructors

     // take nLen chars starting at nPos
   wxString(const wxString& str, size_t nPos, size_t nLen)
     // take nLen chars starting at nPos
   wxString(const wxString& str, size_t nPos, size_t nLen)

+      : m_impl(str.m_impl, nPos, nLen) { }
+    // take all characters from first to last
+  wxString(const_iterator first, const_iterator last)
+      : m_impl(first.impl(), last.impl()) { }
+#if WXWIN_COMPATIBILITY_STRING_PTR_AS_ITER
+    // the 2 overloads below are for compatibility with the existing code using
+    // pointers instead of iterators
+  wxString(const char *first, const char *last)
+  {
+      SubstrBufFromMB str(ImplStr(first, last - first));
+      m_impl.assign(str.data, str.len);
+  }
+  wxString(const wchar_t *first, const wchar_t *last)
+  {
+      SubstrBufFromWC str(ImplStr(first, last - first));
+      m_impl.assign(str.data, str.len);
+  }
+    // and this one is needed to compile code adding offsets to c_str() result
+  wxString(const wxCStrData& first, const wxCStrData& last)
+      : m_impl(CreateConstIterator(first).impl(),
+               CreateConstIterator(last).impl())

   {
   {

-    wxASSERT( str.GetStringData()->IsValid() );
-    InitWith(str.c_str(), nPos, nLen == npos ? 0 : nLen);
+      wxASSERT_MSG( first.m_str == last.m_str,
+                    _T("pointers must be into the same string") );

   }
   }

-    // take all characters from pStart to pEnd
-  wxString(const void *pStart, const void *pEnd);
-
-  // lib.string.capacity
-    // return the length of the string
-  size_t size() const { return Len(); }
-    // return the length of the string
-  size_t length() const { return Len(); }
-    // return the maximum size of the string
-  size_t max_size() const { return wxSTRING_MAXLEN; }
-    // resize the string, filling the space with c if c != 0
-  void resize(size_t nSize, wxChar ch = _T('\0'));
-    // delete the contents of the string
-  void clear() { Empty(); }
-    // returns true if the string is empty
-  bool empty() const { return IsEmpty(); }
-
-  // lib.string.access
-    // return the character at position n
-  wxChar at(size_t n) const { return GetChar(n); }
-    // returns the writable character at position n
-  wxChar& at(size_t n) { return GetWritableChar(n); }
-
-    // first valid index position
-  const_iterator begin() const { return wx_str(); }
-    // position one after the last valid one
-  const_iterator end() const { return wx_str() + length(); }
+#endif // WXWIN_COMPATIBILITY_STRING_PTR_AS_ITER

 
   // lib.string.modifiers
 
   // lib.string.modifiers

-    // append a string
-  wxString& append(const wxString& str)
-    { *this += str; return *this; }

     // append elements str[pos], ..., str[pos+n]
   wxString& append(const wxString& str, size_t pos, size_t n)
     // append elements str[pos], ..., str[pos+n]
   wxString& append(const wxString& str, size_t pos, size_t n)

-    { ConcatSelf(n, str.c_str() + pos); return *this; }
+  {
+    size_t from, len;
+    str.PosLenToImpl(pos, n, &from, &len);
+    m_impl.append(str.m_impl, from, len);
+    return *this;
+  }
+    // append a string
+  wxString& append(const wxString& str)
+    { m_impl.append(str.m_impl); return *this; }
+  wxString& append(const wxCStrData& str)
+    { m_impl.append(str.AsString().m_impl); return *this; }

     // append first n (or all if n == npos) characters of sz
     // append first n (or all if n == npos) characters of sz

-  wxString& append(const wxChar *sz, size_t n = npos)
-    { ConcatSelf(n == npos ? wxStrlen(sz) : n, sz); return *this; }
-
+  wxString& append(const char *sz)
+    { m_impl.append(ImplStr(sz)); return *this; }
+  wxString& append(const wchar_t *sz)
+    { m_impl.append(ImplStr(sz)); return *this; }
+  wxString& append(const char *sz, size_t n)
+  {
+    SubstrBufFromMB str(ImplStr(sz, n));
+    m_impl.append(str.data, str.len);
+    return *this;
+  }
+  wxString& append(const wchar_t *sz, size_t n)
+  {
+    SubstrBufFromWC str(ImplStr(sz, n));
+    m_impl.append(str.data, str.len);
+    return *this;
+  }

     // append n copies of ch
     // append n copies of ch

-  wxString& append(size_t n, wxChar ch) { return Pad(n, ch); }
-
+  wxString& append(size_t n, wxUniChar ch)
+  {
+#if wxUSE_UNICODE_UTF8
+    if ( !ch.IsAscii() )
+        m_impl.append(wxStringOperations::EncodeNChars(n, ch));
+    else
+#endif
+        m_impl.append(n, (wxStringCharType)ch);
+    return *this;
+  }
+    // append from first to last
+  wxString& append(const_iterator first, const_iterator last)
+    { m_impl.append(first.impl(), last.impl()); return *this; }
+#if WXWIN_COMPATIBILITY_STRING_PTR_AS_ITER
+  wxString& append(const char *first, const char *last)
+    { return append(first, last - first); }
+  wxString& append(const wchar_t *first, const wchar_t *last)
+    { return append(first, last - first); }
+  wxString& append(const wxCStrData& first, const wxCStrData& last)
+    { return append(CreateConstIterator(first), CreateConstIterator(last)); }
+#endif // WXWIN_COMPATIBILITY_STRING_PTR_AS_ITER
+

     // same as `this_string = str'
     // same as `this_string = str'

-  wxString& assign(const wxString& str) { return (*this) = str; }
+  wxString& assign(const wxString& str)
+    { m_impl = str.m_impl; return *this; }
+  wxString& assign(const wxString& str, size_t len)
+  {
+    m_impl.assign(str.m_impl, 0, str.LenToImpl(len));
+    return *this;
+  }

     // same as ` = str[pos..pos + n]
   wxString& assign(const wxString& str, size_t pos, size_t n)
     // same as ` = str[pos..pos + n]
   wxString& assign(const wxString& str, size_t pos, size_t n)

-    { return *this = wxString((const wxChar *)str + pos, n); }
+  {
+    size_t from, len;
+    str.PosLenToImpl(pos, n, &from, &len);
+    m_impl.assign(str.m_impl, from, len);
+    return *this;
+  }

     // same as `= first n (or all if n == npos) characters of sz'
     // same as `= first n (or all if n == npos) characters of sz'

-  wxString& assign(const wxChar *sz, size_t n = npos)
-    { return *this = wxString(sz, n); }
+  wxString& assign(const char *sz)
+    { m_impl.assign(ImplStr(sz)); return *this; }
+  wxString& assign(const wchar_t *sz)
+    { m_impl.assign(ImplStr(sz)); return *this; }
+  wxString& assign(const char *sz, size_t n)
+  {
+    SubstrBufFromMB str(ImplStr(sz, n));
+    m_impl.assign(str.data, str.len);
+    return *this;
+  }
+  wxString& assign(const wchar_t *sz, size_t n)
+  {
+    SubstrBufFromWC str(ImplStr(sz, n));
+    m_impl.assign(str.data, str.len);
+    return *this;
+  }

     // same as `= n copies of ch'
     // same as `= n copies of ch'

-  wxString& assign(size_t n, wxChar ch)
-    { return *this = wxString(ch, n); }
+  wxString& assign(size_t n, wxUniChar ch)
+  {
+#if wxUSE_UNICODE_UTF8
+    if ( !ch.IsAscii() )
+        m_impl.assign(wxStringOperations::EncodeNChars(n, ch));
+    else
+#endif
+        m_impl.assign(n, (wxStringCharType)ch);
+    return *this;
+  }
+
+  wxString& assign(size_t n, wxUniCharRef ch)
+    { return assign(n, wxUniChar(ch)); }
+  wxString& assign(size_t n, char ch)
+    { return assign(n, wxUniChar(ch)); }
+  wxString& assign(size_t n, unsigned char ch)
+    { return assign(n, wxUniChar(ch)); }
+  wxString& assign(size_t n, wchar_t ch)
+    { return assign(n, wxUniChar(ch)); }
+
+    // assign from first to last
+  wxString& assign(const_iterator first, const_iterator last)
+    { m_impl.assign(first.impl(), last.impl()); return *this; }
+#if WXWIN_COMPATIBILITY_STRING_PTR_AS_ITER
+  wxString& assign(const char *first, const char *last)
+    { return assign(first, last - first); }
+  wxString& assign(const wchar_t *first, const wchar_t *last)
+    { return assign(first, last - first); }
+  wxString& assign(const wxCStrData& first, const wxCStrData& last)
+    { return assign(CreateConstIterator(first), CreateConstIterator(last)); }
+#endif // WXWIN_COMPATIBILITY_STRING_PTR_AS_ITER
+
+    // string comparison
+  int compare(const wxString& str) const;
+    // comparison with a substring
+  int compare(size_t nStart, size_t nLen, const wxString& str) const;
+    // comparison of 2 substrings
+  int compare(size_t nStart, size_t nLen,
+              const wxString& str, size_t nStart2, size_t nLen2) const;
+    // just like strcmp()
+  int compare(const char* sz) const;
+  int compare(const wchar_t* sz) const;
+    // substring comparison with first nCount characters of sz
+  int compare(size_t nStart, size_t nLen,
+              const char* sz, size_t nCount = npos) const;
+  int compare(size_t nStart, size_t nLen,
+              const wchar_t* sz, size_t nCount = npos) const;

 
     // insert another string
 
     // insert another string

-  wxString& insert(size_t nPos, const wxString& str);
+  wxString& insert(size_t nPos, const wxString& str)
+    { insert(begin() + nPos, str.begin(), str.end()); return *this; }

     // insert n chars of str starting at nStart (in str)
   wxString& insert(size_t nPos, const wxString& str, size_t nStart, size_t n)
     // insert n chars of str starting at nStart (in str)
   wxString& insert(size_t nPos, const wxString& str, size_t nStart, size_t n)

-    { return insert(nPos, wxString((const wxChar *)str + nStart, n)); }
-
+  {
+    size_t from, len;
+    str.PosLenToImpl(nStart, n, &from, &len);
+    m_impl.insert(PosToImpl(nPos), str.m_impl, from, len);
+    return *this;
+  }

     // insert first n (or all if n == npos) characters of sz
     // insert first n (or all if n == npos) characters of sz

-  wxString& insert(size_t nPos, const wxChar *sz, size_t n = npos)
-    { return insert(nPos, wxString(sz, n)); }
+  wxString& insert(size_t nPos, const char *sz)
+    { m_impl.insert(PosToImpl(nPos), ImplStr(sz)); return *this; }
+  wxString& insert(size_t nPos, const wchar_t *sz)
+    { m_impl.insert(PosToImpl(nPos), ImplStr(sz)); return *this; }
+  wxString& insert(size_t nPos, const char *sz, size_t n)
+  {
+    SubstrBufFromMB str(ImplStr(sz, n));
+    m_impl.insert(PosToImpl(nPos), str.data, str.len);
+    return *this;
+  }
+  wxString& insert(size_t nPos, const wchar_t *sz, size_t n)
+  {
+    SubstrBufFromWC str(ImplStr(sz, n));
+    m_impl.insert(PosToImpl(nPos), str.data, str.len);
+    return *this;
+  }

     // insert n copies of ch
     // insert n copies of ch

-  wxString& insert(size_t nPos, size_t n, wxChar ch)
-    { return insert(nPos, wxString(ch, n)); }
+  wxString& insert(size_t nPos, size_t n, wxUniChar ch)
+  {
+#if wxUSE_UNICODE_UTF8
+    if ( !ch.IsAscii() )
+        m_impl.insert(PosToImpl(nPos), wxStringOperations::EncodeNChars(n, ch));
+    else
+#endif
+        m_impl.insert(PosToImpl(nPos), n, (wxStringCharType)ch);
+    return *this;
+  }
+  iterator insert(iterator it, wxUniChar ch)
+  {
+#if wxUSE_UNICODE_UTF8
+    if ( !ch.IsAscii() )
+    {
+        size_t pos = IterToImplPos(it);
+        m_impl.insert(pos, wxStringOperations::EncodeChar(ch));
+        return iterator(this, m_impl.begin() + pos);
+    }
+    else
+#endif
+        return iterator(this, m_impl.insert(it.impl(), (wxStringCharType)ch));
+  }
+  void insert(iterator it, const_iterator first, const_iterator last)
+    { m_impl.insert(it.impl(), first.impl(), last.impl()); }
+#if WXWIN_COMPATIBILITY_STRING_PTR_AS_ITER
+  void insert(iterator it, const char *first, const char *last)
+    { insert(it - begin(), first, last - first); }
+  void insert(iterator it, const wchar_t *first, const wchar_t *last)
+    { insert(it - begin(), first, last - first); }
+  void insert(iterator it, const wxCStrData& first, const wxCStrData& last)
+    { insert(it, CreateConstIterator(first), CreateConstIterator(last)); }
+#endif // WXWIN_COMPATIBILITY_STRING_PTR_AS_ITER
+
+  void insert(iterator it, size_type n, wxUniChar ch)
+  {
+#if wxUSE_UNICODE_UTF8
+    if ( !ch.IsAscii() )
+        m_impl.insert(IterToImplPos(it), wxStringOperations::EncodeNChars(n, ch));
+    else
+#endif
+        m_impl.insert(it.impl(), n, (wxStringCharType)ch);
+  }

 
     // delete characters from nStart to nStart + nLen
 
     // delete characters from nStart to nStart + nLen

-  wxString& erase(size_t nStart = 0, size_t nLen = npos);
+  wxString& erase(size_type pos = 0, size_type n = npos)
+  {
+    size_t from, len;
+    PosLenToImpl(pos, n, &from, &len);
+    m_impl.erase(from, len);
+    return *this;
+  }
+    // delete characters from first up to last
+  iterator erase(iterator first, iterator last)
+    { return iterator(this, m_impl.erase(first.impl(), last.impl())); }
+  iterator erase(iterator first)
+    { return iterator(this, m_impl.erase(first.impl())); }
+
+#ifdef wxSTRING_BASE_HASNT_CLEAR
+  void clear() { erase(); }
+#else
+  void clear() { m_impl.clear(); }
+#endif

 
     // replaces the substring of length nLen starting at nStart
 
     // replaces the substring of length nLen starting at nStart

-  wxString& replace(size_t nStart, size_t nLen, const wxChar* sz);
+  wxString& replace(size_t nStart, size_t nLen, const char* sz)
+  {
+    size_t from, len;
+    PosLenToImpl(nStart, nLen, &from, &len);
+    m_impl.replace(from, len, ImplStr(sz));
+    return *this;
+  }
+  wxString& replace(size_t nStart, size_t nLen, const wchar_t* sz)
+  {
+    size_t from, len;
+    PosLenToImpl(nStart, nLen, &from, &len);
+    m_impl.replace(from, len, ImplStr(sz));
+    return *this;
+  }
+    // replaces the substring of length nLen starting at nStart
+  wxString& replace(size_t nStart, size_t nLen, const wxString& str)
+  {
+    size_t from, len;
+    PosLenToImpl(nStart, nLen, &from, &len);
+    m_impl.replace(from, len, str.m_impl);
+    return *this;
+  }

     // replaces the substring with nCount copies of ch
     // replaces the substring with nCount copies of ch

-  wxString& replace(size_t nStart, size_t nLen, size_t nCount, wxChar ch);
+  wxString& replace(size_t nStart, size_t nLen, size_t nCount, wxUniChar ch)
+  {
+    size_t from, len;
+    PosLenToImpl(nStart, nLen, &from, &len);
+#if wxUSE_UNICODE_UTF8
+    if ( !ch.IsAscii() )
+        m_impl.replace(from, len, wxStringOperations::EncodeNChars(nCount, ch));
+    else
+#endif
+        m_impl.replace(from, len, nCount, (wxStringCharType)ch);
+    return *this;
+  }

     // replaces a substring with another substring
   wxString& replace(size_t nStart, size_t nLen,
     // replaces a substring with another substring
   wxString& replace(size_t nStart, size_t nLen,

-                    const wxString& str, size_t nStart2, size_t nLen2);
-    // replaces the substring with first nCount chars of sz
-    wxString& replace(size_t nStart, size_t nLen,
-                      const wxChar* sz, size_t nCount);
+                    const wxString& str, size_t nStart2, size_t nLen2)
+  {
+    size_t from, len;
+    PosLenToImpl(nStart, nLen, &from, &len);
+
+    size_t from2, len2;
+    str.PosLenToImpl(nStart2, nLen2, &from2, &len2);

 
 

-    // swap two strings
-  void swap(wxString& str);
+    m_impl.replace(from, len, str.m_impl, from2, len2);
+    return *this;
+  }
+     // replaces the substring with first nCount chars of sz
+  wxString& replace(size_t nStart, size_t nLen,
+                    const char* sz, size_t nCount)
+  {
+    size_t from, len;
+    PosLenToImpl(nStart, nLen, &from, &len);

 
 

-    // All find() functions take the nStart argument which specifies the
-    // position to start the search on, the default value is 0. All functions
-    // return npos if there were no match.
+    SubstrBufFromMB str(ImplStr(sz, nCount));
+
+    m_impl.replace(from, len, str.data, str.len);
+    return *this;
+  }
+  wxString& replace(size_t nStart, size_t nLen,
+                    const wchar_t* sz, size_t nCount)
+  {
+    size_t from, len;
+    PosLenToImpl(nStart, nLen, &from, &len);
+
+    SubstrBufFromWC str(ImplStr(sz, nCount));
+
+    m_impl.replace(from, len, str.data, str.len);
+    return *this;
+  }
+  wxString& replace(size_t nStart, size_t nLen,
+                    const wxString& s, size_t nCount)
+  {
+    size_t from, len;
+    PosLenToImpl(nStart, nLen, &from, &len);
+    m_impl.replace(from, len, s.m_impl.c_str(), s.LenToImpl(nCount));
+    return *this;
+  }
+
+  wxString& replace(iterator first, iterator last, const char* s)
+    { m_impl.replace(first.impl(), last.impl(), ImplStr(s)); return *this; }
+  wxString& replace(iterator first, iterator last, const wchar_t* s)
+    { m_impl.replace(first.impl(), last.impl(), ImplStr(s)); return *this; }
+  wxString& replace(iterator first, iterator last, const char* s, size_type n)
+  {
+    SubstrBufFromMB str(ImplStr(s, n));
+    m_impl.replace(first.impl(), last.impl(), str.data, str.len);
+    return *this;
+  }
+  wxString& replace(iterator first, iterator last, const wchar_t* s, size_type n)
+  {
+    SubstrBufFromWC str(ImplStr(s, n));
+    m_impl.replace(first.impl(), last.impl(), str.data, str.len);
+    return *this;
+  }
+  wxString& replace(iterator first, iterator last, const wxString& s)
+    { m_impl.replace(first.impl(), last.impl(), s.m_impl); return *this; }
+  wxString& replace(iterator first, iterator last, size_type n, wxUniChar ch)
+  {
+#if wxUSE_UNICODE_UTF8
+    if ( !ch.IsAscii() )
+        m_impl.replace(first.impl(), last.impl(),
+                       wxStringOperations::EncodeNChars(n, ch));
+    else
+#endif
+        m_impl.replace(first.impl(), last.impl(), n, (wxStringCharType)ch);
+    return *this;
+  }
+  wxString& replace(iterator first, iterator last,
+                    const_iterator first1, const_iterator last1)
+  {
+    m_impl.replace(first.impl(), last.impl(), first1.impl(), last1.impl());
+    return *this;
+  }
+  wxString& replace(iterator first, iterator last,
+                    const char *first1, const char *last1)
+    { replace(first, last, first1, last1 - first1); return *this; }
+  wxString& replace(iterator first, iterator last,
+                    const wchar_t *first1, const wchar_t *last1)
+    { replace(first, last, first1, last1 - first1); return *this; }
+
+  // swap two strings
+  void swap(wxString& str)
+    { m_impl.swap(str.m_impl); }

 
     // find a substring
 
     // find a substring

-  size_t find(const wxString& str, size_t nStart = 0) const;
+  size_t find(const wxString& str, size_t nStart = 0) const
+    { return PosFromImpl(m_impl.find(str.m_impl, PosToImpl(nStart))); }

 
 

-  // VC++ 1.5 can't cope with this syntax.
-#if !defined(__VISUALC__) || defined(__WIN32__)

     // find first n characters of sz
     // find first n characters of sz

-  size_t find(const wxChar* sz, size_t nStart = 0, size_t n = npos) const;
-#endif
+  size_t find(const char* sz, size_t nStart = 0, size_t n = npos) const
+  {
+      SubstrBufFromMB str(ImplStr(sz, n));
+      return PosFromImpl(m_impl.find(str.data, PosToImpl(nStart), str.len));
+  }
+  size_t find(const wchar_t* sz, size_t nStart = 0, size_t n = npos) const
+  {
+      SubstrBufFromWC str(ImplStr(sz, n));
+      return PosFromImpl(m_impl.find(str.data, PosToImpl(nStart), str.len));
+  }

 
 

-  // Gives a duplicate symbol (presumably a case-insensitivity problem)
-#if !defined(__BORLANDC__)

     // find the first occurence of character ch after nStart
     // find the first occurence of character ch after nStart

-  size_t find(wxChar ch, size_t nStart = 0) const;
-#endif
+  size_t find(wxUniChar ch, size_t nStart = 0) const
+  {
+    return PosFromImpl(m_impl.find(wxStringOperations::EncodeChar(ch),
+                                   PosToImpl(nStart)));
+  }
+  size_t find(wxUniCharRef ch, size_t nStart = 0) const
+    {  return find(wxUniChar(ch), nStart); }
+  size_t find(char ch, size_t nStart = 0) const
+    {  return find(wxUniChar(ch), nStart); }
+  size_t find(unsigned char ch, size_t nStart = 0) const
+    {  return find(wxUniChar(ch), nStart); }
+  size_t find(wchar_t ch, size_t nStart = 0) const
+    {  return find(wxUniChar(ch), nStart); }
+

     // rfind() family is exactly like find() but works right to left
 
     // as find, but from the end
     // rfind() family is exactly like find() but works right to left
 
     // as find, but from the end

-  size_t rfind(const wxString& str, size_t nStart = npos) const;
+  size_t rfind(const wxString& str, size_t nStart = npos) const
+    { return PosFromImpl(m_impl.rfind(str.m_impl, PosToImpl(nStart))); }

 
 

-  // VC++ 1.5 can't cope with this syntax.
-#if !defined(__VISUALC__) || defined(__WIN32__)

     // as find, but from the end
     // as find, but from the end

-  size_t rfind(const wxChar* sz, size_t nStart = npos,
-          size_t n = npos) const;
+  size_t rfind(const char* sz, size_t nStart = npos, size_t n = npos) const
+  {
+      SubstrBufFromMB str(ImplStr(sz, n));
+      return PosFromImpl(m_impl.rfind(str.data, PosToImpl(nStart), str.len));
+  }
+  size_t rfind(const wchar_t* sz, size_t nStart = npos, size_t n = npos) const
+  {
+      SubstrBufFromWC str(ImplStr(sz, n));
+      return PosFromImpl(m_impl.rfind(str.data, PosToImpl(nStart), str.len));
+  }

     // as find, but from the end
     // as find, but from the end

-  size_t rfind(wxChar ch, size_t nStart = npos) const;
-#endif
+  size_t rfind(wxUniChar ch, size_t nStart = npos) const
+  {
+    return PosFromImpl(m_impl.rfind(wxStringOperations::EncodeChar(ch),
+                                    PosToImpl(nStart)));
+  }
+  size_t rfind(wxUniCharRef ch, size_t nStart = npos) const
+    {  return rfind(wxUniChar(ch), nStart); }
+  size_t rfind(char ch, size_t nStart = npos) const
+    {  return rfind(wxUniChar(ch), nStart); }
+  size_t rfind(unsigned char ch, size_t nStart = npos) const
+    {  return rfind(wxUniChar(ch), nStart); }
+  size_t rfind(wchar_t ch, size_t nStart = npos) const
+    {  return rfind(wxUniChar(ch), nStart); }
+
+  // find first/last occurence of any character (not) in the set:
+#if wxUSE_STL_BASED_WXSTRING && !wxUSE_UNICODE_UTF8
+  // FIXME-UTF8: this is not entirely correct, because it doesn't work if
+  //             sizeof(wchar_t)==2 and surrogates are present in the string;
+  //             should we care? Probably not.
+  size_t find_first_of(const wxString& str, size_t nStart = 0) const
+    { return m_impl.find_first_of(str.m_impl, nStart); }
+  size_t find_first_of(const char* sz, size_t nStart = 0) const
+    { return m_impl.find_first_of(ImplStr(sz), nStart); }
+  size_t find_first_of(const wchar_t* sz, size_t nStart = 0) const
+    { return m_impl.find_first_of(ImplStr(sz), nStart); }
+  size_t find_first_of(const char* sz, size_t nStart, size_t n) const
+    { return m_impl.find_first_of(ImplStr(sz), nStart, n); }
+  size_t find_first_of(const wchar_t* sz, size_t nStart, size_t n) const
+    { return m_impl.find_first_of(ImplStr(sz), nStart, n); }
+  size_t find_first_of(wxUniChar c, size_t nStart = 0) const
+    { return m_impl.find_first_of((wxChar)c, nStart); }
+
+  size_t find_last_of(const wxString& str, size_t nStart = npos) const
+    { return m_impl.find_last_of(str.m_impl, nStart); }
+  size_t find_last_of(const char* sz, size_t nStart = npos) const
+    { return m_impl.find_last_of(ImplStr(sz), nStart); }
+  size_t find_last_of(const wchar_t* sz, size_t nStart = npos) const
+    { return m_impl.find_last_of(ImplStr(sz), nStart); }
+  size_t find_last_of(const char* sz, size_t nStart, size_t n) const
+    { return m_impl.find_last_of(ImplStr(sz), nStart, n); }
+  size_t find_last_of(const wchar_t* sz, size_t nStart, size_t n) const
+    { return m_impl.find_last_of(ImplStr(sz), nStart, n); }
+  size_t find_last_of(wxUniChar c, size_t nStart = npos) const
+    { return m_impl.find_last_of((wxChar)c, nStart); }

 
 

-    // find first/last occurence of any character in the set
+  size_t find_first_not_of(const wxString& str, size_t nStart = 0) const
+    { return m_impl.find_first_not_of(str.m_impl, nStart); }
+  size_t find_first_not_of(const char* sz, size_t nStart = 0) const
+    { return m_impl.find_first_not_of(ImplStr(sz), nStart); }
+  size_t find_first_not_of(const wchar_t* sz, size_t nStart = 0) const
+    { return m_impl.find_first_not_of(ImplStr(sz), nStart); }
+  size_t find_first_not_of(const char* sz, size_t nStart, size_t n) const
+    { return m_impl.find_first_not_of(ImplStr(sz), nStart, n); }
+  size_t find_first_not_of(const wchar_t* sz, size_t nStart, size_t n) const
+    { return m_impl.find_first_not_of(ImplStr(sz), nStart, n); }
+  size_t find_first_not_of(wxUniChar c, size_t nStart = 0) const
+    { return m_impl.find_first_not_of((wxChar)c, nStart); }
+
+  size_t find_last_not_of(const wxString& str, size_t nStart = npos) const
+    { return m_impl.find_last_not_of(str.m_impl, nStart); }
+  size_t find_last_not_of(const char* sz, size_t nStart = npos) const
+    { return m_impl.find_last_not_of(ImplStr(sz), nStart); }
+  size_t find_last_not_of(const wchar_t* sz, size_t nStart = npos) const
+    { return m_impl.find_last_not_of(ImplStr(sz), nStart); }
+  size_t find_last_not_of(const char* sz, size_t nStart, size_t n) const
+    { return m_impl.find_last_not_of(ImplStr(sz), nStart, n); }
+  size_t find_last_not_of(const wchar_t* sz, size_t nStart, size_t n) const
+    { return m_impl.find_last_not_of(ImplStr(sz), nStart, n); }
+  size_t find_last_not_of(wxUniChar c, size_t nStart = npos) const
+    { return m_impl.find_last_not_of((wxChar)c, nStart); }
+#else
+  // we can't use std::string implementation in UTF-8 build, because the
+  // character sets would be interpreted wrongly:

 
     // as strpbrk() but starts at nStart, returns npos if not found
   size_t find_first_of(const wxString& str, size_t nStart = 0) const
 
     // as strpbrk() but starts at nStart, returns npos if not found
   size_t find_first_of(const wxString& str, size_t nStart = 0) const

-    { return find_first_of(str.c_str(), nStart); }
+#if wxUSE_UNICODE // FIXME-UTF8: temporary
+    { return find_first_of(str.mb_str().data(), nStart); }
+#else
+    { return find_first_of((const wxChar*)str.c_str(), nStart); }
+#endif

     // same as above
     // same as above

-  size_t find_first_of(const wxChar* sz, size_t nStart = 0) const;
+  size_t find_first_of(const char* sz, size_t nStart = 0) const;
+  size_t find_first_of(const wchar_t* sz, size_t nStart = 0) const;
+  size_t find_first_of(const char* sz, size_t nStart, size_t n) const;
+  size_t find_first_of(const wchar_t* sz, size_t nStart, size_t n) const;

     // same as find(char, size_t)
     // same as find(char, size_t)

-  size_t find_first_of(wxChar c, size_t nStart = 0) const
+  size_t find_first_of(wxUniChar c, size_t nStart = 0) const

     { return find(c, nStart); }
     // find the last (starting from nStart) char from str in this string
   size_t find_last_of (const wxString& str, size_t nStart = npos) const
     { return find(c, nStart); }
     // find the last (starting from nStart) char from str in this string
   size_t find_last_of (const wxString& str, size_t nStart = npos) const

-    { return find_last_of(str.c_str(), nStart); }
+#if wxUSE_UNICODE // FIXME-UTF8: temporary
+    { return find_last_of(str.mb_str().data(), nStart); }
+#else
+    { return find_last_of((const wxChar*)str.c_str(), nStart); }
+#endif

     // same as above
     // same as above

-  size_t find_last_of (const wxChar* sz, size_t nStart = npos) const;
+  size_t find_last_of (const char* sz, size_t nStart = npos) const;
+  size_t find_last_of (const wchar_t* sz, size_t nStart = npos) const;
+  size_t find_last_of(const char* sz, size_t nStart, size_t n) const;
+  size_t find_last_of(const wchar_t* sz, size_t nStart, size_t n) const;

     // same as above
     // same as above

-  size_t find_last_of(wxChar c, size_t nStart = npos) const
+  size_t find_last_of(wxUniChar c, size_t nStart = npos) const

     { return rfind(c, nStart); }
 
     // find first/last occurence of any character not in the set
 
     // as strspn() (starting from nStart), returns npos on failure
   size_t find_first_not_of(const wxString& str, size_t nStart = 0) const
     { return rfind(c, nStart); }
 
     // find first/last occurence of any character not in the set
 
     // as strspn() (starting from nStart), returns npos on failure
   size_t find_first_not_of(const wxString& str, size_t nStart = 0) const

-    { return find_first_not_of(str.c_str(), nStart); }
+#if wxUSE_UNICODE // FIXME-UTF8: temporary
+    { return find_first_not_of(str.mb_str().data(), nStart); }
+#else
+    { return find_first_not_of((const wxChar*)str.c_str(), nStart); }
+#endif

     // same as above
     // same as above

-  size_t find_first_not_of(const wxChar* sz, size_t nStart = 0) const;
+  size_t find_first_not_of(const char* sz, size_t nStart = 0) const;
+  size_t find_first_not_of(const wchar_t* sz, size_t nStart = 0) const;
+  size_t find_first_not_of(const char* sz, size_t nStart, size_t n) const;
+  size_t find_first_not_of(const wchar_t* sz, size_t nStart, size_t n) const;

     // same as above
     // same as above

-  size_t find_first_not_of(wxChar ch, size_t nStart = 0) const;
+  size_t find_first_not_of(wxUniChar ch, size_t nStart = 0) const;

     //  as strcspn()
     //  as strcspn()

-  size_t find_last_not_of(const wxString& str, size_t nStart=npos) const;
+  size_t find_last_not_of(const wxString& str, size_t nStart = npos) const
+#if wxUSE_UNICODE // FIXME-UTF8: temporary
+    { return find_last_not_of(str.mb_str().data(), nStart); }
+#else
+    { return find_last_not_of((const wxChar*)str.c_str(), nStart); }
+#endif

     // same as above
     // same as above

-  size_t find_last_not_of(const wxChar* sz, size_t nStart = npos) const;
+  size_t find_last_not_of(const char* sz, size_t nStart = npos) const;
+  size_t find_last_not_of(const wchar_t* sz, size_t nStart = npos) const;
+  size_t find_last_not_of(const char* sz, size_t nStart, size_t n) const;
+  size_t find_last_not_of(const wchar_t* sz, size_t nStart, size_t n) const;

     // same as above
     // same as above

-  size_t find_last_not_of(wxChar ch, size_t nStart = npos) const;
+  size_t find_last_not_of(wxUniChar ch, size_t nStart = npos) const;
+#endif // wxUSE_STL_BASED_WXSTRING && !wxUSE_UNICODE_UTF8 or not
+
+  // provide char/wchar_t/wxUniCharRef overloads for char-finding functions
+  // above to resolve ambiguities:
+  size_t find_first_of(wxUniCharRef ch, size_t nStart = 0) const
+    {  return find_first_of(wxUniChar(ch), nStart); }
+  size_t find_first_of(char ch, size_t nStart = 0) const
+    {  return find_first_of(wxUniChar(ch), nStart); }
+  size_t find_first_of(unsigned char ch, size_t nStart = 0) const
+    {  return find_first_of(wxUniChar(ch), nStart); }
+  size_t find_first_of(wchar_t ch, size_t nStart = 0) const
+    {  return find_first_of(wxUniChar(ch), nStart); }
+  size_t find_last_of(wxUniCharRef ch, size_t nStart = npos) const
+    {  return find_last_of(wxUniChar(ch), nStart); }
+  size_t find_last_of(char ch, size_t nStart = npos) const
+    {  return find_last_of(wxUniChar(ch), nStart); }
+  size_t find_last_of(unsigned char ch, size_t nStart = npos) const
+    {  return find_last_of(wxUniChar(ch), nStart); }
+  size_t find_last_of(wchar_t ch, size_t nStart = npos) const
+    {  return find_last_of(wxUniChar(ch), nStart); }
+  size_t find_first_not_of(wxUniCharRef ch, size_t nStart = 0) const
+    {  return find_first_not_of(wxUniChar(ch), nStart); }
+  size_t find_first_not_of(char ch, size_t nStart = 0) const
+    {  return find_first_not_of(wxUniChar(ch), nStart); }
+  size_t find_first_not_of(unsigned char ch, size_t nStart = 0) const
+    {  return find_first_not_of(wxUniChar(ch), nStart); }
+  size_t find_first_not_of(wchar_t ch, size_t nStart = 0) const
+    {  return find_first_not_of(wxUniChar(ch), nStart); }
+  size_t find_last_not_of(wxUniCharRef ch, size_t nStart = npos) const
+    {  return find_last_not_of(wxUniChar(ch), nStart); }
+  size_t find_last_not_of(char ch, size_t nStart = npos) const
+    {  return find_last_not_of(wxUniChar(ch), nStart); }
+  size_t find_last_not_of(unsigned char ch, size_t nStart = npos) const
+    {  return find_last_not_of(wxUniChar(ch), nStart); }
+  size_t find_last_not_of(wchar_t ch, size_t nStart = npos) const
+    {  return find_last_not_of(wxUniChar(ch), nStart); }

 
 

-    // All compare functions return -1, 0 or 1 if the [sub]string is less,
-    // equal or greater than the compare() argument.
+      // string += string
+  wxString& operator+=(const wxString& s)
+    { m_impl += s.m_impl; return *this; }
+      // string += C string
+  wxString& operator+=(const char *psz)
+    { m_impl += ImplStr(psz); return *this; }
+  wxString& operator+=(const wchar_t *pwz)
+    { m_impl += ImplStr(pwz); return *this; }
+  wxString& operator+=(const wxCStrData& s)
+    { m_impl += s.AsString().m_impl; return *this; }
+      // string += char
+  wxString& operator+=(wxUniChar ch)
+    { m_impl += wxStringOperations::EncodeChar(ch); return *this; }
+  wxString& operator+=(wxUniCharRef ch) { return *this += wxUniChar(ch); }
+  wxString& operator+=(int ch) { return *this += wxUniChar(ch); }
+  wxString& operator+=(char ch) { return *this += wxUniChar(ch); }
+  wxString& operator+=(unsigned char ch) { return *this += wxUniChar(ch); }
+  wxString& operator+=(wchar_t ch) { return *this += wxUniChar(ch); }

 
 

-    // just like strcmp()
-  int compare(const wxString& str) const { return Cmp(str); }
-    // comparison with a substring
-  int compare(size_t nStart, size_t nLen, const wxString& str) const;
-    // comparison of 2 substrings
-  int compare(size_t nStart, size_t nLen,
-              const wxString& str, size_t nStart2, size_t nLen2) const;
-    // just like strcmp()
-  int compare(const wxChar* sz) const { return Cmp(sz); }
-    // substring comparison with first nCount characters of sz
-  int compare(size_t nStart, size_t nLen,
-              const wxChar* sz, size_t nCount = npos) const;
+private:
+#if !wxUSE_STL_BASED_WXSTRING
+  // helpers for wxStringBuffer and wxStringBufferLength
+  wxStringCharType *DoGetWriteBuf(size_t nLen)
+    { return m_impl.DoGetWriteBuf(nLen); }
+  void DoUngetWriteBuf()
+    { m_impl.DoUngetWriteBuf(); }
+  void DoUngetWriteBuf(size_t nLen)
+    { m_impl.DoUngetWriteBuf(nLen); }
+#endif // !wxUSE_STL_BASED_WXSTRING
+
+#ifndef wxNEEDS_WXSTRING_PRINTF_MIXIN
+  int DoPrintf(const wxString& format, ...);
+  static wxString DoFormat(const wxString& format, ...);
+#endif
+
+#if !wxUSE_STL_BASED_WXSTRING
+  // check string's data validity
+  bool IsValid() const { return m_impl.GetStringData()->IsValid(); }
+#endif
+
+private:
+  wxStringImpl m_impl;

 
 

-  // substring extraction
-  wxString substr(size_t nStart = 0, size_t nLen = npos) const;
-#endif // wxSTD_STRING_COMPATIBILITY
+  // buffers for compatibility conversion from (char*)c_str() and
+  // (wchar_t*)c_str():
+  // FIXME-UTF8: bechmark various approaches to keeping compatibility buffers
+  template<typename T>
+  struct ConvertedBuffer
+  {
+      ConvertedBuffer() : m_buf(NULL) {}
+      ~ConvertedBuffer()
+          { free(m_buf); }
+
+      operator T*() const { return m_buf; }
+
+      ConvertedBuffer& operator=(T *str)
+      {
+          free(m_buf);
+          m_buf = str;
+          return *this;
+      }
+
+      T *m_buf;
+  };
+#if wxUSE_UNICODE
+  ConvertedBuffer<char> m_convertedToChar;
+#endif
+#if !wxUSE_UNICODE_WCHAR
+  ConvertedBuffer<wchar_t> m_convertedToWChar;
+#endif
+
+  friend class WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE wxCStrData;
+  friend class wxImplStringBuffer;
+  friend class wxImplStringBufferLength;

 };
 
 };
 

+#ifdef wxNEEDS_WXSTRING_PRINTF_MIXIN
+    #pragma warning (default:4275)
+#endif
+
+// string iterator operators that satisfy STL Random Access Iterator
+// requirements:
+inline wxString::iterator operator+(int n, wxString::iterator i)
+  { return i + n; }
+inline wxString::iterator operator+(size_t n, wxString::iterator i)
+  { return i + n; }
+inline wxString::const_iterator operator+(int n, wxString::const_iterator i)
+  { return i + n; }
+inline wxString::const_iterator operator+(size_t n, wxString::const_iterator i)
+  { return i + n; }
+inline wxString::reverse_iterator operator+(int n, wxString::reverse_iterator i)
+  { return i + n; }
+inline wxString::reverse_iterator operator+(size_t n, wxString::reverse_iterator i)
+  { return i + n; }
+inline wxString::const_reverse_iterator operator+(int n, wxString::const_reverse_iterator i)
+  { return i + n; }
+inline wxString::const_reverse_iterator operator+(size_t n, wxString::const_reverse_iterator i)
+  { return i + n; }
+
+// notice that even though for many compilers the friend declarations above are
+// enough, from the point of view of C++ standard we must have the declarations
+// here as friend ones are not injected in the enclosing namespace and without
+// them the code fails to compile with conforming compilers such as xlC or g++4
+wxString WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE operator+(const wxString& string1, const wxString& string2);
+wxString WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE operator+(const wxString& string, const char *psz);
+wxString WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE operator+(const wxString& string, const wchar_t *pwz);
+wxString WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE operator+(const char *psz, const wxString& string);
+wxString WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE operator+(const wchar_t *pwz, const wxString& string);
+
+wxString WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE operator+(const wxString& string, wxUniChar ch);
+wxString WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE operator+(wxUniChar ch, const wxString& string);
+
+inline wxString operator+(const wxString& string, wxUniCharRef ch)
+    { return string + (wxUniChar)ch; }
+inline wxString operator+(const wxString& string, char ch)
+    { return string + wxUniChar(ch); }
+inline wxString operator+(const wxString& string, wchar_t ch)
+    { return string + wxUniChar(ch); }
+inline wxString operator+(wxUniCharRef ch, const wxString& string)
+    { return (wxUniChar)ch + string; }
+inline wxString operator+(char ch, const wxString& string)
+    { return wxUniChar(ch) + string; }
+inline wxString operator+(wchar_t ch, const wxString& string)
+    { return wxUniChar(ch) + string; }
+
+
+#if wxUSE_STL_BASED_WXSTRING
+    // return an empty wxString (not very useful with wxUSE_STL == 1)
+    inline const wxString wxGetEmptyString() { return wxString(); }
+#else // !wxUSE_STL_BASED_WXSTRING
+    // return an empty wxString (more efficient than wxString() here)
+    inline const wxString& wxGetEmptyString()
+    {
+        return *(wxString *)&wxEmptyString;
+    }
+#endif // wxUSE_STL_BASED_WXSTRING/!wxUSE_STL_BASED_WXSTRING
+

 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

-// The string array uses it's knowledge of internal structure of the wxString
-// class to optimize string storage. Normally, we would store pointers to
-// string, but as wxString is, in fact, itself a pointer (sizeof(wxString) is
-// sizeof(char *)) we store these pointers instead. The cast to "wxString *" is
-// really all we need to turn such pointer into a string!
-//
-// Of course, it can be called a dirty hack, but we use twice less memory and
-// this approach is also more speed efficient, so it's probably worth it.
-//
-// Usage notes: when a string is added/inserted, a new copy of it is created,
-// so the original string may be safely deleted. When a string is retrieved
-// from the array (operator[] or Item() method), a reference is returned.
+// wxStringBuffer: a tiny class allowing to get a writable pointer into string

 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

-class WXDLLEXPORT wxArrayString
+
+#if !wxUSE_STL_BASED_WXSTRING
+// string buffer for direct access to string data in their native
+// representation:
+class wxImplStringBuffer

 {
 public:
 {
 public:

-  // type of function used by wxArrayString::Sort()
-  typedef int (*CompareFunction)(const wxString& first,
-                                 const wxString& second);
+    typedef wxStringCharType CharType;

 
 

-  // constructors and destructor
-    // default ctor
-  wxArrayString();
-    // copy ctor
-  wxArrayString(const wxArrayString& array);
-    // assignment operator
-  wxArrayString& operator=(const wxArrayString& src);
-    // not virtual, this class should not be derived from
- ~wxArrayString();
-
-  // memory management
-    // empties the list, but doesn't release memory
-  void Empty();
-    // empties the list and releases memory
-  void Clear();
-    // preallocates memory for given number of items
-  void Alloc(size_t nCount);
-    // minimzes the memory usage (by freeing all extra memory)
-  void Shrink();
-
-  // simple accessors
-    // number of elements in the array
-  size_t GetCount() const { return m_nCount; }
-    // is it empty?
-  bool IsEmpty() const { return m_nCount == 0; }
-    // number of elements in the array (GetCount is preferred API)
-  size_t Count() const { return m_nCount; }
-
-  // items access (range checking is done in debug version)
-    // get item at position uiIndex
-  wxString& Item(size_t nIndex) const
-    { wxASSERT( nIndex < m_nCount ); return *(wxString *)&(m_pItems[nIndex]); }
-    // same as Item()
-  wxString& operator[](size_t nIndex) const { return Item(nIndex); }
-    // get last item
-  wxString& Last() const { wxASSERT( !IsEmpty() ); return Item(Count() - 1); }
-
-  // item management
-    // Search the element in the array, starting from the beginning if
-    // bFromEnd is FALSE or from end otherwise. If bCase, comparison is case
-    // sensitive (default). Returns index of the first item matched or
-    // wxNOT_FOUND
-  int  Index (const wxChar *sz, bool bCase = TRUE, bool bFromEnd = FALSE) const;
-    // add new element at the end
-  void Add(const wxString& str);
-    // add new element at given position
-  void Insert(const wxString& str, size_t uiIndex);
-    // remove first item matching this value
-  void Remove(const wxChar *sz);
-    // remove item by index
-  void Remove(size_t nIndex);
-
-  // sorting
-    // sort array elements in alphabetical order (or reversed alphabetical
-    // order if reverseOrder parameter is TRUE)
-  void Sort(bool reverseOrder = FALSE);
-    // sort array elements using specified comparaison function
-  void Sort(CompareFunction compareFunction);
+    wxImplStringBuffer(wxString& str, size_t lenWanted = 1024)
+        : m_str(str), m_buf(NULL)
+        { m_buf = m_str.DoGetWriteBuf(lenWanted); }
+
+    ~wxImplStringBuffer() { m_str.DoUngetWriteBuf(); }
+
+    operator wxStringCharType*() const { return m_buf; }
+
+private:
+    wxString&         m_str;
+    wxStringCharType *m_buf;
+
+    DECLARE_NO_COPY_CLASS(wxImplStringBuffer)
+};
+
+class wxImplStringBufferLength
+{
+public:
+    typedef wxStringCharType CharType;
+
+    wxImplStringBufferLength(wxString& str, size_t lenWanted = 1024)
+        : m_str(str), m_buf(NULL), m_len(0), m_lenSet(false)
+    {
+        m_buf = m_str.DoGetWriteBuf(lenWanted);
+        wxASSERT(m_buf != NULL);
+    }
+
+    ~wxImplStringBufferLength()
+    {
+        wxASSERT(m_lenSet);
+        m_str.DoUngetWriteBuf(m_len);
+    }
+
+    operator wxStringCharType*() const { return m_buf; }
+    void SetLength(size_t length) { m_len = length; m_lenSet = true; }

 
 private:
 
 private:

-  void    Grow();     // makes array bigger if needed
-  void    Free();     // free the string stored
+    wxString&         m_str;
+    wxStringCharType *m_buf;
+    size_t            m_len;
+    bool              m_lenSet;
+
+    DECLARE_NO_COPY_CLASS(wxImplStringBufferLength)
+};
+
+#endif // !wxUSE_STL_BASED_WXSTRING
+
+template<typename T>
+class wxStringTypeBufferBase
+{
+public:
+    typedef T CharType;
+
+    wxStringTypeBufferBase(wxString& str, size_t lenWanted = 1024)
+        : m_str(str), m_buf(lenWanted)
+        { }
+
+
+    operator CharType*() { return m_buf.data(); }
+
+protected:
+    wxString& m_str;
+    wxCharTypeBuffer<CharType> m_buf;
+};
+
+template<typename T>
+class wxStringTypeBufferLengthBase
+{
+public:
+    typedef T CharType;
+
+    wxStringTypeBufferLengthBase(wxString& str, size_t lenWanted = 1024)
+        : m_str(str), m_buf(lenWanted), m_len(0), m_lenSet(false)
+        { }
+
+    ~wxStringTypeBufferLengthBase()
+    {
+        wxASSERT(m_lenSet);
+        m_str.assign(m_buf.data(), m_len);
+    }
+
+    operator CharType*() { return m_buf.data(); }
+    void SetLength(size_t length) { m_len = length; m_lenSet = true; }

 
 

-  void    DoSort();   // common part of all Sort() variants
+protected:
+    wxString& m_str;
+    wxCharTypeBuffer<CharType> m_buf;
+    size_t        m_len;
+    bool          m_lenSet;
+};
+
+template<typename T>
+class wxStringTypeBuffer : public wxStringTypeBufferBase<T>
+{
+public:
+    wxStringTypeBuffer(wxString& str, size_t lenWanted = 1024)
+        : wxStringTypeBufferBase<T>(str, lenWanted) {}
+    ~wxStringTypeBuffer()
+    {
+        this->m_str.assign(this->m_buf.data());
+    }
+
+    DECLARE_NO_COPY_CLASS(wxStringTypeBuffer)
+};
+
+template<typename T>
+class wxStringTypeBufferLength : public wxStringTypeBufferLengthBase<T>
+{
+public:
+    wxStringTypeBufferLength(wxString& str, size_t lenWanted = 1024)
+        : wxStringTypeBufferLengthBase<T>(str, lenWanted) {}
+
+    ~wxStringTypeBufferLength()
+    {
+        wxASSERT(this->m_lenSet);
+        this->m_str.assign(this->m_buf.data(), this->m_len);
+    }
+
+    DECLARE_NO_COPY_CLASS(wxStringTypeBufferLength)
+};
+
+#if wxUSE_STL_BASED_WXSTRING
+class wxImplStringBuffer : public wxStringTypeBufferBase<wxStringCharType>
+{
+public:
+    wxImplStringBuffer(wxString& str, size_t lenWanted = 1024)
+        : wxStringTypeBufferBase<wxStringCharType>(str, lenWanted) {}
+    ~wxImplStringBuffer()
+        { m_str.m_impl.assign(m_buf.data()); }
+
+    DECLARE_NO_COPY_CLASS(wxImplStringBuffer)
+};
+
+class wxImplStringBufferLength : public wxStringTypeBufferLengthBase<wxStringCharType>
+{
+public:
+    wxImplStringBufferLength(wxString& str, size_t lenWanted = 1024)
+        : wxStringTypeBufferLengthBase<wxStringCharType>(str, lenWanted) {}

 
 

-  size_t  m_nSize,    // current size of the array
-          m_nCount;   // current number of elements
+    ~wxImplStringBufferLength()
+    {
+        wxASSERT(m_lenSet);
+        m_str.m_impl.assign(m_buf.data(), m_len);
+    }

 
 

-  wxChar  **m_pItems;   // pointer to data
+    DECLARE_NO_COPY_CLASS(wxImplStringBufferLength)

 };
 };

+#endif // wxUSE_STL_BASED_WXSTRING
+
+
+#if wxUSE_STL_BASED_WXSTRING || wxUSE_UNICODE_UTF8
+typedef wxStringTypeBuffer<wxChar>        wxStringBuffer;
+typedef wxStringTypeBufferLength<wxChar>  wxStringBufferLength;
+#else // if !wxUSE_STL_BASED_WXSTRING && !wxUSE_UNICODE_UTF8
+typedef wxImplStringBuffer                wxStringBuffer;
+typedef wxImplStringBufferLength          wxStringBufferLength;
+#endif // !wxUSE_STL_BASED_WXSTRING && !wxUSE_UNICODE_UTF8

 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // wxString comparison functions: operator versions are always case sensitive
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // wxString comparison functions: operator versions are always case sensitive
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

-//
-inline bool operator==(const wxString& s1, const wxString& s2) { return (s1.Cmp(s2) == 0); }
-//
-inline bool operator==(const wxString& s1, const wxChar  * s2) { return (s1.Cmp(s2) == 0); }
-//
-inline bool operator==(const wxChar  * s1, const wxString& s2) { return (s2.Cmp(s1) == 0); }
-//
-inline bool operator!=(const wxString& s1, const wxString& s2) { return (s1.Cmp(s2) != 0); }
-//
-inline bool operator!=(const wxString& s1, const wxChar  * s2) { return (s1.Cmp(s2) != 0); }
-//
-inline bool operator!=(const wxChar  * s1, const wxString& s2) { return (s2.Cmp(s1) != 0); }
-//
-inline bool operator< (const wxString& s1, const wxString& s2) { return (s1.Cmp(s2) < 0); }
-//
-inline bool operator< (const wxString& s1, const wxChar  * s2) { return (s1.Cmp(s2) <  0); }
-//
-inline bool operator< (const wxChar  * s1, const wxString& s2) { return (s2.Cmp(s1) >  0); }
-//
-inline bool operator> (const wxString& s1, const wxString& s2) { return (s1.Cmp(s2) >  0); }
-//
-inline bool operator> (const wxString& s1, const wxChar  * s2) { return (s1.Cmp(s2) >  0); }
-//
-inline bool operator> (const wxChar  * s1, const wxString& s2) { return (s2.Cmp(s1) <  0); }
-//
-inline bool operator<=(const wxString& s1, const wxString& s2) { return (s1.Cmp(s2) <= 0); }
-//
-inline bool operator<=(const wxString& s1, const wxChar  * s2) { return (s1.Cmp(s2) <= 0); }
-//
-inline bool operator<=(const wxChar  * s1, const wxString& s2) { return (s2.Cmp(s1) >= 0); }
-//
-inline bool operator>=(const wxString& s1, const wxString& s2) { return (s1.Cmp(s2) >= 0); }
-//
-inline bool operator>=(const wxString& s1, const wxChar  * s2) { return (s1.Cmp(s2) >= 0); }
-//
-inline bool operator>=(const wxChar  * s1, const wxString& s2) { return (s2.Cmp(s1) <= 0); }
+
+#define wxCMP_WXCHAR_STRING(p, s, op) 0 op s.Cmp(p)
+
+wxDEFINE_ALL_COMPARISONS(const wxChar *, const wxString&, wxCMP_WXCHAR_STRING)
+
+#undef wxCMP_WXCHAR_STRING
+
+// note that there is an optimization in operator==() and !=(): we (quickly)
+// checks the strings length first, before comparing their data
+inline bool operator==(const wxString& s1, const wxString& s2)
+    { return (s1.Len() == s2.Len()) && (s1.Cmp(s2) == 0); }
+inline bool operator!=(const wxString& s1, const wxString& s2)
+    { return (s1.Len() != s2.Len()) || (s1.Cmp(s2) != 0); }
+inline bool operator< (const wxString& s1, const wxString& s2)
+    { return s1.Cmp(s2) < 0; }
+inline bool operator> (const wxString& s1, const wxString& s2)
+    { return s1.Cmp(s2) >  0; }
+inline bool operator<=(const wxString& s1, const wxString& s2)
+    { return s1.Cmp(s2) <= 0; }
+inline bool operator>=(const wxString& s1, const wxString& s2)
+    { return s1.Cmp(s2) >= 0; }

 
 #if wxUSE_UNICODE
 inline bool operator==(const wxString& s1, const wxWCharBuffer& s2)
 
 #if wxUSE_UNICODE
 inline bool operator==(const wxString& s1, const wxWCharBuffer& s2)

-{ return (s1.Cmp((const wchar_t *)s2) == 0); }
+    { return (s1.Cmp((const wchar_t *)s2) == 0); }

 inline bool operator==(const wxWCharBuffer& s1, const wxString& s2)
 inline bool operator==(const wxWCharBuffer& s1, const wxString& s2)

-{ return (s2.Cmp((const wchar_t *)s1) == 0); }
-#else
+    { return (s2.Cmp((const wchar_t *)s1) == 0); }
+inline bool operator!=(const wxString& s1, const wxWCharBuffer& s2)
+    { return (s1.Cmp((const wchar_t *)s2) != 0); }
+inline bool operator!=(const wxWCharBuffer& s1, const wxString& s2)
+    { return (s2.Cmp((const wchar_t *)s1) != 0); }
+#else // !wxUSE_UNICODE

 inline bool operator==(const wxString& s1, const wxCharBuffer& s2)
 inline bool operator==(const wxString& s1, const wxCharBuffer& s2)

-{ return (s1.Cmp((const char *)s2) == 0); }
+    { return (s1.Cmp((const char *)s2) == 0); }

 inline bool operator==(const wxCharBuffer& s1, const wxString& s2)
 inline bool operator==(const wxCharBuffer& s1, const wxString& s2)

-{ return (s2.Cmp((const char *)s1) == 0); }
-#endif
+    { return (s2.Cmp((const char *)s1) == 0); }
+inline bool operator!=(const wxString& s1, const wxCharBuffer& s2)
+    { return (s1.Cmp((const char *)s2) != 0); }
+inline bool operator!=(const wxCharBuffer& s1, const wxString& s2)
+    { return (s2.Cmp((const char *)s1) != 0); }
+#endif // wxUSE_UNICODE/!wxUSE_UNICODE

 
 

-wxString WXDLLEXPORT operator+(const wxString& string1,  const wxString& string2);
-wxString WXDLLEXPORT operator+(const wxString& string, wxChar ch);
-wxString WXDLLEXPORT operator+(wxChar ch, const wxString& string);
-wxString WXDLLEXPORT operator+(const wxString& string, const wxChar *psz);
-wxString WXDLLEXPORT operator+(const wxChar *psz, const wxString& string);

 #if wxUSE_UNICODE
 #if wxUSE_UNICODE

-inline wxString WXDLLEXPORT operator+(const wxString& string, const wxWCharBuffer& buf)
-{ return string + (const wchar_t *)buf; }
-inline wxString WXDLLEXPORT operator+(const wxWCharBuffer& buf, const wxString& string)
-{ return (const wchar_t *)buf + string; }
-#else
-inline wxString WXDLLEXPORT operator+(const wxString& string, const wxCharBuffer& buf)
-{ return string + (const char *)buf; }
-inline wxString WXDLLEXPORT operator+(const wxCharBuffer& buf, const wxString& string)
-{ return (const char *)buf + string; }
-#endif
+inline wxString operator+(const wxString& string, const wxWCharBuffer& buf)
+    { return string + (const wchar_t *)buf; }
+inline wxString operator+(const wxWCharBuffer& buf, const wxString& string)
+    { return (const wchar_t *)buf + string; }
+#else // !wxUSE_UNICODE
+inline wxString operator+(const wxString& string, const wxCharBuffer& buf)
+    { return string + (const char *)buf; }
+inline wxString operator+(const wxCharBuffer& buf, const wxString& string)
+    { return (const char *)buf + string; }
+#endif // wxUSE_UNICODE/!wxUSE_UNICODE
+
+// comparison with char
+inline bool operator==(const wxUniChar& c, const wxString& s) { return s.IsSameAs(c); }
+inline bool operator==(const wxUniCharRef& c, const wxString& s) { return s.IsSameAs(c); }
+inline bool operator==(char c, const wxString& s) { return s.IsSameAs(c); }
+inline bool operator==(wchar_t c, const wxString& s) { return s.IsSameAs(c); }
+inline bool operator==(int c, const wxString& s) { return s.IsSameAs(c); }
+inline bool operator==(const wxString& s, const wxUniChar& c) { return s.IsSameAs(c); }
+inline bool operator==(const wxString& s, const wxUniCharRef& c) { return s.IsSameAs(c); }
+inline bool operator==(const wxString& s, char c) { return s.IsSameAs(c); }
+inline bool operator==(const wxString& s, wchar_t c) { return s.IsSameAs(c); }
+inline bool operator!=(const wxUniChar& c, const wxString& s) { return !s.IsSameAs(c); }
+inline bool operator!=(const wxUniCharRef& c, const wxString& s) { return !s.IsSameAs(c); }
+inline bool operator!=(char c, const wxString& s) { return !s.IsSameAs(c); }
+inline bool operator!=(wchar_t c, const wxString& s) { return !s.IsSameAs(c); }
+inline bool operator!=(int c, const wxString& s) { return !s.IsSameAs(c); }
+inline bool operator!=(const wxString& s, const wxUniChar& c) { return !s.IsSameAs(c); }
+inline bool operator!=(const wxString& s, const wxUniCharRef& c) { return !s.IsSameAs(c); }
+inline bool operator!=(const wxString& s, char c) { return !s.IsSameAs(c); }
+inline bool operator!=(const wxString& s, wchar_t c) { return !s.IsSameAs(c); }
+
+// comparison with C string in Unicode build
+#if wxUSE_UNICODE
+
+#define wxCMP_CHAR_STRING(p, s, op) wxString(p) op s
+
+wxDEFINE_ALL_COMPARISONS(const char *, const wxString&, wxCMP_CHAR_STRING)
+
+#undef wxCMP_CHAR_STRING
+
+#endif // wxUSE_UNICODE
+
+// we also need to provide the operators for comparison with wxCStrData to
+// resolve ambiguity between operator(const wxChar *,const wxString &) and
+// operator(const wxChar *, const wxChar *) for "p == s.c_str()"
+//
+// notice that these are (shallow) pointer comparisons, not (deep) string ones
+#define wxCMP_CHAR_CSTRDATA(p, s, op) p op s.AsChar()
+#define wxCMP_WCHAR_CSTRDATA(p, s, op) p op s.AsWChar()
+
+wxDEFINE_ALL_COMPARISONS(const wchar_t *, const wxCStrData&, wxCMP_WCHAR_CSTRDATA)
+wxDEFINE_ALL_COMPARISONS(const char *, const wxCStrData&, wxCMP_CHAR_CSTRDATA)
+
+#undef wxCMP_CHAR_CSTRDATA
+#undef wxCMP_WCHAR_CSTRDATA

 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Implementation only from here until the end of file
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Implementation only from here until the end of file
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 

-#ifdef wxSTD_STRING_COMPATIBILITY
+#if wxUSE_STD_IOSTREAM

 
 

-#include "wx/ioswrap.h"
+#include "wx/iosfwrap.h"

 
 

-WXDLLEXPORT istream& operator>>(istream& is, wxString& str);
+WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE wxSTD ostream& operator<<(wxSTD ostream&, const wxString&);
+WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE wxSTD ostream& operator<<(wxSTD ostream&, const wxCStrData&);
+WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE wxSTD ostream& operator<<(wxSTD ostream&, const wxCharBuffer&);
+#ifndef __BORLANDC__
+WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE wxSTD ostream& operator<<(wxSTD ostream&, const wxWCharBuffer&);
+#endif

 
 #endif  // wxSTD_STRING_COMPATIBILITY
 
 
 #endif  // wxSTD_STRING_COMPATIBILITY
 

-#endif  // _WX_WXSTRINGH__
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// wxCStrData implementation
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+inline wxCStrData::wxCStrData(char *buf)
+    : m_str(new wxString(buf)), m_offset(0), m_owned(true) {}
+inline wxCStrData::wxCStrData(wchar_t *buf)
+    : m_str(new wxString(buf)), m_offset(0), m_owned(true) {}
+
+inline wxCStrData::wxCStrData(const wxCStrData& data)
+    : m_str(data.m_owned ? new wxString(*data.m_str) : data.m_str),
+      m_offset(data.m_offset),
+      m_owned(data.m_owned)
+{
+}
+
+inline wxCStrData::~wxCStrData()
+{
+    if ( m_owned )
+        delete m_str;
+}
+
+// simple cases for AsChar() and AsWChar(), the complicated ones are
+// in string.cpp
+#if wxUSE_UNICODE_WCHAR
+inline const wchar_t* wxCStrData::AsWChar() const
+{
+    return m_str->wx_str() + m_offset;
+}
+#endif // wxUSE_UNICODE_WCHAR
+
+#if !wxUSE_UNICODE
+inline const char* wxCStrData::AsChar() const
+{
+    return m_str->wx_str() + m_offset;
+}
+#endif // !wxUSE_UNICODE
+
+inline const wxCharBuffer wxCStrData::AsCharBuf() const
+{
+#if !wxUSE_UNICODE
+    return wxCharBuffer::CreateNonOwned(AsChar());
+#else
+    return AsString().mb_str();
+#endif
+}
+
+inline const wxWCharBuffer wxCStrData::AsWCharBuf() const
+{
+#if wxUSE_UNICODE_WCHAR
+    return wxWCharBuffer::CreateNonOwned(AsWChar());
+#else
+    return AsString().wc_str();
+#endif
+}
+
+inline wxString wxCStrData::AsString() const
+{
+    if ( m_offset == 0 )
+        return *m_str;
+    else
+        return m_str->Mid(m_offset);
+}
+
+inline const wxStringCharType *wxCStrData::AsInternal() const
+{
+    return wxStringOperations::AddToIter(m_str->wx_str(), m_offset);
+}
+
+inline wxUniChar wxCStrData::operator*() const
+{
+    if ( m_str->empty() )
+        return wxUniChar(_T('\0'));
+    else
+        return (*m_str)[m_offset];
+}
+
+inline wxUniChar wxCStrData::operator[](size_t n) const
+{
+    // NB: we intentionally use operator[] and not at() here because the former
+    //     works for the terminating NUL while the latter does not
+    return (*m_str)[m_offset + n];
+}
+
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// more wxCStrData operators
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+// we need to define those to allow "size_t pos = p - s.c_str()" where p is
+// some pointer into the string
+inline size_t operator-(const char *p, const wxCStrData& cs)
+{
+    return p - cs.AsChar();
+}
+
+inline size_t operator-(const wchar_t *p, const wxCStrData& cs)
+{
+    return p - cs.AsWChar();
+}
+
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// implementation of wx[W]CharBuffer inline methods using wxCStrData
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+// FIXME-UTF8: move this to buffer.h
+inline wxCharBuffer::wxCharBuffer(const wxCStrData& cstr)
+                    : wxCharTypeBufferBase(cstr.AsCharBuf())
+{
+}
+
+inline wxWCharBuffer::wxWCharBuffer(const wxCStrData& cstr)
+                    : wxCharTypeBufferBase(cstr.AsWCharBuf())
+{
+}
+
+#if WXWIN_COMPATIBILITY_2_8
+    // lot of code out there doesn't explicitly include wx/wxchar.h, but uses
+    // CRT wrappers that are now declared in wx/wxcrt.h and wx/wxcrtvararg.h,
+    // so let's include this header now that wxString is defined and it's safe
+    // to do it:
+    #include "wx/wxchar.h"
+#endif
+
+#endif  // _WX_WXSTRING_H_