basic_string with unsigned short - initialization and usage

[wolverine]

Hi
I want to know how to use basic_string with unsigned short (I have
mentioned below why i have to do this). Could any tell me some good
references in this topic. I am new to creating a new basic_string
class.

#include <string>
#include<iostream>
using namespace std;

struct unsigned_short_traits
{
typedef unsigned short _E;
typedef _E char_type;
typedef int int_type;
typedef std::streampos pos_type;
typedef std::streamoff off_type;
typedef std::mbstate_t state_type;
static void assign(_E& _X, const _E& _Y)
{_X = _Y; }
static bool eq(const _E& _X, const _E& _Y)
{return (_X == _Y); }
static bool lt(const _E& _X, const _E& _Y)
{return (_X < _Y); }
static int compare(const _E *_U, const _E *_V, size_t _N)
{return (memcmp(_U, _V, _N)); }
static size_t length(const _E *_U)
{return (strlen((const char *)_U)); }
static _E * copy(_E *_U, const _E *_V, size_t _N)
{return ((_E *)memcpy(_U, _V, _N)); }
static const _E * find(const _E *_U, size_t _N, const _E& _C)
{return ((const _E *)memchr(_U, _C, _N)); }
static _E * move(_E *_U, const _E *_V, size_t _N)
{return ((_E *)memmove(_U, _V, _N)); }
static _E * assign(_E *_U, size_t _N, const _E& _C)
{return ((_E *)memset(_U, _C, _N)); }
static _E to_char_type(const int_type& _C)
{return ((_E)_C); }
static int_type to_int_type(const _E& _C)
{return ((int_type)(_C)); }
static bool eq_int_type(const int_type& _X, const int_type& _Y)
{return (_X == _Y); }
static int_type eof()
{return (EOF); }
static int_type not_eof(const int_type& _C)
{return (_C != eof() ? _C : !eof()); }
};

typedef std::basic_string<unsigned short, unsigned_short_traits>
utf16string;

int main()
{
char *a = "abc";
utf16string str(reinterpret_cast<unsigned short*>(a));
cout<<str<<endl;
return 0;
}

REASON TO CREATE THIS utf16string :-
I am trying to xerces parser which uses a XMLCh ( typedef unsigned
short XMLCh) as the basic character. Most of xerces functions have
XMLCh pointers as input. But since my application has to be unicode
supported and at the same time i cannot use wstring I cannot use
wstring since wchar_t is 32 bit in linux and XMLCh is 16 bit. So
conversion between wstring and XMLCh will not work. So i thought of
defining basic_string with unsigned short.

Coming back to my question, I know this group is not for solving issues
in c++ isses regarding any platform (linux). But i am just asking how
to use basic_string with unsigned short. Also please pass me some good
references on this topic. Do any one know a decent way of initializing
the utf16string rather than using reinterpret_cast. ?

Thanks in Advance
Kiran.