Converting from System::String to other string types

This example demonstrates how to convert from a System.String to the other string types

// convert_from_system_string.cpp // compile with: /clr /link comsuppw.lib 

#include <iostream>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string>

#include "atlbase.h"
#include "atlstr.h"
#include "comutil.h"
#include "vcclr.h"

using namespace std;
using namespace System;
using namespace System::Runtime::InteropServices;

int main()
{
    String ^orig = gcnew String("Hello, World!");
    Console::WriteLine("{0} (System::String)", orig);

    pin_ptr<const wchar_t> wch = PtrToStringChars(orig);

 // Convert to a char*
    size_t origsize = wcslen(wch) + 1;
    const size_t newsize = 100;
    size_t convertedChars = 0;
    char nstring[newsize];
    wcstombs_s(&convertedChars, nstring, origsize, wch, _TRUNCATE);
    strcat_s(nstring, " (char *)");
    cout << nstring << endl;

   // Convert to a wchar_t*
    wchar_t wcstring[newsize];
    wcscpy_s(wcstring, wch);
    wcscat_s(wcstring, L" (wchar_t *)");
    wcout << wcstring << endl;

   // Convert to a _bstr_t
    _bstr_t bstrt(wch);
    bstrt += " (_bstr_t)";
    cout << bstrt << endl;

    // Convert to a CComBSTR
    CComBSTR ccombstr(wch);
    if (ccombstr.Append(L" (CComBSTR)") == S_OK)
    {
        CW2A printstr(ccombstr);
        cout << printstr << endl;
    }

 // Convert to a CString
    CString cstring(wch);
    cstring += " (CString)";
    cout << cstring << endl;

    // Convert to a basic_string
    wstring basicstring(wch);
    basicstring += L" (basic_string)";
    wcout << basicstring << endl;

    delete orig;
}

Output

Hello, World! (System::String)
Hello, World! (char *)
Hello, World! (wchar_t *)
Hello, World! (_bstr_t)
Hello, World! (CComBSTR)
Hello, World! (CString)
Hello, World! (basic_string)