Why do C++ streams use char instead of unsigned char?

Question

I\'ve always wondered why the C++ Standard library has instantiated basic_[io]stream and all its variants using the char type instead of the unsigned char

Answer 1

char is for characters, unsigned char for raw bytes of data, and signed chars for, well, signed data.

Standard does not specify if signed or unsigned char will be used for the implementation of char - it is compiler-specific. It only specifies that the "char" will be "enough" to hold characters on you system - the way characters were in those days, which is, no UNICODE.

Using "char" for characters is the standard way to go. Using unsigned char is a hack, although it'll match compiler's implementation of char on most platforms.