Using a filesystem::path, how do you open a file in a cross-platform way?

Question

Let\'s say you have used the new std::filesystem (or std::experimental::filesystem) code to hunt down a file. You have a path variable

Answer 1

Bo Persson pointed out that this is the subject of a standard library defect report. This defect has been resolved, and C++17 will ship, requiring implementations where path::value_type is not char to have their file stream types take const filesystem path::value_type*s in addition to the usual const char* versions.