# std::mbrtoc16

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< cpp‎ | string‎ | multibyte

Defined in header `<cuchar>` |  |
std::size_t mbrtoc16( char16_t* pc16, const char* s, std::size_t n, std::mbstate_t* ps ); |  | (since C++11)

Converts a narrow multibyte character to UTF-16 character representation.

If `s` is not a null pointer, inspects at most `n` bytes of the multibyte character string, beginning with the byte pointed to by `s` to determine the number of bytes necessary to complete the next multibyte character (including any shift sequences). If the function determines that the next multibyte character in `s` is complete and valid, converts it to the corresponding 16-bit character and stores it in *pc16 (if `pc16` is not null).

If the multibyte character in `*s` corresponds to a multi-char16_t sequence (e.g. a surrogate pair in UTF-16), then after the first call to this function, `*ps` is updated in such a way that the next call to `mbrtoc16` will write out the additional char16_t, without considering `*s`.

If `s` is a null pointer, the values of `n` and `pc16` are ignored and the call is equivalent to std::mbrtoc16(NULL, "", 1, ps).

If the wide character produced is the null character, the conversion state *ps represents the initial shift state.

The multibyte encoding used by this function is specified by the currently active C locale.

### Parameters

pc16 | - | pointer to the location where the resulting 16-bit character will be written
s | - | pointer to the multibyte character string used as input
n | - | limit on the number of bytes in s that can be examined
ps | - | pointer to the conversion state object used when interpreting the multibyte string

### Return value

The first of the following that applies:

- ​0​ if the character converted from `s` (and stored in *pc16 if non-null) was the null character
- the number of bytes [1...n] of the multibyte character successfully converted from `s`
- -3 if the next char16_t from a multi-char16_t character (e.g. a surrogate pair) has now been written to *pc16. No bytes are processed from the input in this case.
- -2 if the next `n` bytes constitute an incomplete, but so far valid, multibyte character. Nothing is written to *pc16.
- -1 if encoding error occurs. Nothing is written to `*pc16`, the value EILSEQ is stored in errno and the value of *ps is unspecified.

### Example

Run this code

    #include <iostream>
    #include <iomanip>
    #include <clocale>
    #include <cstring>
    #include <cwchar>
    #include <cuchar>

    int main()
    {
        std::setlocale(LC_ALL, "en_US.utf8");

        std::string str = u8"z\u00df\u6c34\U0001F34C"; // or u8"zß水🍌"

        std::cout << "Processing " << str.size() << " bytes: [ " << std::showbase;
        for(unsigned char c: str) std::cout << std::hex << +c << ' ';
        std::cout << "]\n";

        std::mbstate_t state{}; // zero-initialized to initial state
        char16_t c16;
        const char *ptr = &str[0], *end = &str[0] + str.size();

        while(int rc = std::mbrtoc16(&c16, ptr, end - ptr, &state))
        {
            std::cout << "Next UTF-16 char: " << std::hex << c16 << " obtained from ";
            if(rc == -3)
                std::cout << "earlier surrogate pair\n";
            else if(rc > 0) {
                std::cout << std::dec << rc << " bytes [ ";
                for(int n = 0; n < rc; ++n)
                    std::cout << std::hex << +(unsigned char)ptr[n] << ' ';
                std::cout << "]\n";
                ptr += rc;
            } else break;
        }
    }

Output:

    Processing 10 bytes: [ 0x7a 0xc3 0x9f 0xe6 0xb0 0xb4 0xf0 0x9f 0x8d 0x8c ]
    Next UTF-16 char: 0x7a obtained from 1 bytes [ 0x7a ]
    Next UTF-16 char: 0xdf obtained from 2 bytes [ 0xc3 0x9f ]
    Next UTF-16 char: 0x6c34 obtained from 3 bytes [ 0xe6 0xb0 0xb4 ]
    Next UTF-16 char: 0xd83c obtained from 4 bytes [ 0xf0 0x9f 0x8d 0x8c ]
    Next UTF-16 char: 0xdf4c obtained from earlier surrogate pair

### See also

c16rtomb (C++11) | convert a 16-bit wide character to narrow multibyte string (function)
do_in [virtual] | converts a string from externT to internT, such as when reading from file (virtual protected member function of `std::codecvt`)
C documentation for mbrtoc16

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