C++20 introduced a breaking change where u8 string literals are now typed as const char8_t instead of const char, causing previously valid C++17 code to fail compilation. This backward-compatibility break affects large codebases and libraries that relied on the old behavior, requiring explicit casts or code modifications to migrate.
Background
C++20 introduced char8_t as a distinct character type for UTF-8 encoding, separating it from char to better express intent and improve type safety. This change was part of ongoing efforts to strengthen Unicode support in the language.
- Source
- Lobsters
- Published
- Sep 18, 2026 at 05:21 PM
- Score
- 6.0 / 10