The test program below produces the following output below. I tested this with Visual C++ and it does outputs "abcdef" for both cases.
================= $ g++ -v Reading specs from /usr/lib/gcc-lib/i686-pc-cygwin/3.3.3/specs Configured with: /gcc/gcc-3.3.3-3/configure --verbose --prefix=/usr --exec- prefix=/usr --sysconfdir=/etc --libdir=/usr/lib --libexecdir=/usr/lib -- mandir=/usr/share/man --infodir=/usr/share/info --enable- languages=c,ada,c++,d,f77,java,objc,pascal --enable-nls --without-included- gettext --enable-libgcj --with-system-zlib --enable-interpreter --enable- threads=posix --enable-java-gc=boehm --enable-sjlj-exceptions --disable-version- specific-runtime-libs --disable-win32-registry Thread model: posix gcc version 3.3.3 (cygwin special) $ g++ test.cc [EMAIL PROTECTED] ~ $ ./a.exe 0x434004def abcdef ===== #include <sstream> #include <iostream> #include <sstream> #include <fstream> #include <iostream> #include <string> using namespace std; void executeBuffer(const ostream & cmd) { string t=static_cast<const ostringstream &>(cmd).str(); printf("%s\n", t.c_str()); } int main(char **argv, int argc) { executeBuffer(ostringstream() << "abc" << "def\n"); ostringstream t; t<<"abc" << "def\n" ; executeBuffer(t); return 0; } -- Summary: C++ ostringstream const char * interpreted as void *(?) Product: gcc Version: 3.3.3 Status: UNCONFIRMED Severity: normal Priority: P2 Component: c++ AssignedTo: unassigned at gcc dot gnu dot org ReportedBy: oyvind dot harboe at zylin dot com CC: gcc-bugs at gcc dot gnu dot org http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=17997