How to get different language text by GetWindowText? - c++

Question

How to get different language text by GetWindowText?
I have modfying a whiteboard project. When the user type in the whiteboard, the onchange function will called and will show the text in the whiteboard. However, when I type Japanese text (Non system default language) it shows "?" instead. The following is the code spinet for onchange.
void CHBEdit::OnChange()
{
static bool bChanged = true;
CDC *pDC = GetDC();
if (bChanged) {
CString str;
GetWindowText(str);
m_strText = str;
int iStartChar, iEndChar;
GetSel(iStartChar, iEndChar);
CRect rect;
GetWindowRect(&rect);
CFont *Oldfont = (CFont *)pDC->SelectObject(&m_Font);
CSize size = pDC->GetOutputTextExtent(str); //+ "a");
pDC->SelectObject(Oldfont);
SetWindowPos(NULL, 0, 0, size.cx, size.cy, SWP_NOMOVE);
bChanged = false;
SetWindowText(str);
SetSel(iStartChar, iEndChar);
}
else
bChanged = true;
ReleaseDC(pDC);
}
I am really new in C++. I did research and had tried GetwindowTextW with UTF8 unicode, but it still showing "?". Maybe the logic wrong.
I would appreciate it if anyone could give me the solution to show different language text in the whiteboard. Thank you.

Answer 1

GetWindowTextW is the right way. Windows uses UTF16 Unicode standard, with wchar_t wide string. UTF8 standard is commonly used with Linux and internet. You may need UTF16/UTF8 conversion only when exporting/importing data to other systems.
If you create a new MFC project it will be setup in Unicode and MFC functions will default to Unicode. Example:
//UNICODE project:
CString str;
GetWindowText(str);
MessageBox(str);
If project is Unicode, this will will work in Japanese and all other languages.
If you are working with a legacy MFC project which is stuck in in ANSI mode and you can't change it, use the following fix:
//ANSI project:
CStringW str;
GetWindowTextW(str);
MessageBoxW(str);