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SILC Toolkit Reference Manual SILC Core Library SILC Authentication Interface SILC Message Interface SILC Channel Interface SILC Command Interface SILC Notify Interface SILC Status Types SILC Modes SILC ID Interface SILC ID Cache Interface SILC Argument Interface SILC Attributes Interface Packet Protocol Interface SILC Utility Library Basic SILC Types SILC Buffer Interface SILC Buffer Format Interface SILC Hash Table Interface SILC Logging Interface SILC Memory Interface SILC Mutex Interface SILC Thread Interface SILC Network Interface SILC Schedule Interface SILC Socket Interface SILC Protocol Interface SILC Config Interface SILC File Util Interface SILC String Util Interface SILC UTF-8 Interface SILC Stringprep Interface SILC Util Interface SILC List Interface SILC Dynamic List Interface SILC VCard Interface SILC Application Utilities SILC Crypto Library Introduction to SILC RNG SILC RNG Interface SILC Cipher API SILC PKCS API SILC PKCS#1 API SILC Hash Interface SILC HMAC Interface SILC SFTP Library SILC SFTP Interface SFTP Filesystems Interface SILC Client Library Using SILC Client Library Tutorial Arguments for command_reply Client Operation SilcStatus Error Arguments in command_reply Client Operation Arguments for notify Client Operation Unicode and UTF-8 Strings in Client Library Client Library Interface Reference SILC Key Exchange Library SILC SKE Interface SKE Status Types SKE Diffie Hellman Groups SKE Payloads SILC Math Library SILC MP Interface SILC Math Interface Resource Links SILC Project Website SILC Protocol Documentation SILC White Paper SILC FAQs
Unicode and UTF-8 Strings in Client Library This document describes how the client library handles UTF-8 encoded strings. By default all strings in the SILC protocol are UTF-8 encoded. All strings that are sent to server and strings that are received from the server are always UTF-8 encoded. It is application's responsibility to render the strings as well as possible on the user interface. Exception to these strings are messages sent and received in Message Payload, which can include practically any kind of strings with any kind of character encodings, and binary data also. If UTF-8 encoded message is sent or received it is indicated with the SILC_MESSAGE_FLAG_UTF8, and application can render the messages accordingly. Other strings are always UTF-8 encoded and application needs to decode the strings to other character encoding if application does not support UTF-8 rendering on user interface. Also strings application sends to library, such as, nicknames, channel names, server names, host names, topic srings, any command argument, etc. must always be UTF-8 encoded before they are sent to the library. The UTF-8 routines help the application developer to encode and decode UTF-8 strings. The client library does not ever encode or decode strings to or from the current locale. The library always expects that all strings it receives from application are already UTF-8 encoded. The library may validate certain UTF-8 strings and return error if needed. Server may also send errors in command reply if strings are not encoded properly. Nicknames and channel names in SILC are also UTF-8 encoded and can include practically any kind of letters, numbers and punctuation marks. Control characters and other special characters are not allowed in nickname strings, and application never receives such nicknames or channel names from the library.

Copyright © 2001 - 2005 SILC Project SILC Project Website | SILC Toolkit Reference Manual Index