How to use new std::byte type in places where old-style unsigned char is needed?

Question

std::byte is a new type in C++17 which is made as enum class byte : unsigned char. This makes impossible to use it without appropriate conversion.

Answer 1

If you want something that behaves like a byte in the way you'd probably expect it but is named distinctly different from unsigned char use uint8_t from stdint.h. For almost all implementations this will probably be a

typedef unsigned char uint8_t;

and again an unsigned char under the hood - but who cares? You just want to emphasize "This is not a character type". You just don't have to expect to be able to have two overloads of some functions, one for unsigned char and one for uint8_t. But if you do the compiler will push your nose onto it anyway...