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(libc.info)Charset Function Overview

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Overview about Character Handling Functions
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   A Unix C library contains three different sets of functions in two
families to handle character set conversion.  One of the function
families (the most commonly used) is specified in the ISO C90 standard
and, therefore, is portable even beyond the Unix world.  Unfortunately
this family is the least useful one.  These functions should be avoided
whenever possible, especially when developing libraries (as opposed to
applications).

   The second family of functions got introduced in the early Unix
standards (XPG2) and is still part of the latest and greatest Unix
standard: Unix 98.  It is also the most powerful and useful set of
functions.  But we will start with the functions defined in Amendment 1
to ISO C90.