diff --git a/imgui-examples/examples/test_window_impl.rs b/imgui-examples/examples/test_window_impl.rs
index 867b848..211a699 100644
--- a/imgui-examples/examples/test_window_impl.rs
+++ b/imgui-examples/examples/test_window_impl.rs
@@ -480,7 +480,7 @@ fn show_test_window(ui: &Ui, state: &mut State, opened: &mut bool) {
 
             ui.separator();
             ui.label_text(im_str!("label"), im_str!("Value"));
-            ComboBox::new(im_str!("combo")).build_simple_string(ui,
+            ComboBox::new(&"combo").build_simple_string(ui,
                 &mut state.item,
                 &[
                     im_str!("aaaa"),
@@ -515,7 +515,7 @@ fn show_test_window(ui: &Ui, state: &mut State, opened: &mut bool) {
                 im_str!("Tilefish"),
             ];
 
-            ListBox::new(im_str!("selectables list")).build(ui, || {
+            ListBox::new("selectables list").build(ui, || {
                 for (index, name) in names.iter().enumerate() {
                     let selected = matches!(state.selected_fish2, Some(i) if i == index );
                     if Selectable::new(name).selected(selected).build(ui) {
diff --git a/imgui/src/widget/combo_box.rs b/imgui/src/widget/combo_box.rs
index a412fc5..e321f83 100644
--- a/imgui/src/widget/combo_box.rs
+++ b/imgui/src/widget/combo_box.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 use bitflags::bitflags;
 use std::borrow::Cow;
-use std::ptr;
 
 use crate::sys;
 use crate::Ui;
@@ -55,16 +54,16 @@ pub struct ComboBoxFlags: u32 {
 /// Builder for a combo box widget
 #[derive(Copy, Clone, Debug)]
 #[must_use]
-pub struct ComboBox<'a> {
-    label: &'a ImStr,
-    preview_value: Option<&'a ImStr>,
+pub struct ComboBox<T, P = String> {
+    label: T,
+    preview_value: Option<P>,
     flags: ComboBoxFlags,
 }
 
-impl<'a> ComboBox<'a> {
+impl<'a, T: AsRef<str>, P: AsRef<str>> ComboBox<T, P> {
     /// Constructs a new combo box builder.
     #[doc(alias = "BeginCombo")]
-    pub const fn new(label: &'a ImStr) -> ComboBox<'a> {
+    pub fn new(label: T) -> Self {
         ComboBox {
             label,
             preview_value: None,
@@ -74,14 +73,14 @@ impl<'a> ComboBox<'a> {
 
     /// Sets the preview value displayed in the preview box (if visible).
     #[inline]
-    pub const fn preview_value(mut self, preview_value: &'a ImStr) -> Self {
+    pub fn preview_value(mut self, preview_value: P) -> Self {
         self.preview_value = Some(preview_value);
         self
     }
 
     /// Replaces all current settings with the given flags.
     #[inline]
-    pub const fn flags(mut self, flags: ComboBoxFlags) -> Self {
+    pub fn flags(mut self, flags: ComboBoxFlags) -> Self {
         self.flags = flags;
         self
     }
@@ -141,11 +140,13 @@ impl<'a> ComboBox<'a> {
     #[must_use]
     pub fn begin<'ui>(self, ui: &Ui<'ui>) -> Option<ComboBoxToken<'ui>> {
         let should_render = unsafe {
-            sys::igBeginCombo(
-                self.label.as_ptr(),
-                self.preview_value.map(ImStr::as_ptr).unwrap_or(ptr::null()),
-                self.flags.bits() as i32,
-            )
+            if let Some(preview_value) = self.preview_value {
+                let (ptr_one, ptr_two) = ui.scratch_txt_two(self.label, preview_value);
+                sys::igBeginCombo(ptr_one, ptr_two, self.flags.bits() as i32)
+            } else {
+                let ptr_one = ui.scratch_txt(self.label);
+                sys::igBeginCombo(ptr_one, std::ptr::null(), self.flags.bits() as i32)
+            }
         };
         if should_render {
             Some(ComboBoxToken::new(ui))
@@ -157,7 +158,7 @@ impl<'a> ComboBox<'a> {
     /// Returns the result of the closure, if it is called.
     ///
     /// Note: the closure is not called if the combo box is not open.
-    pub fn build<T, F: FnOnce() -> T>(self, ui: &Ui, f: F) -> Option<T> {
+    pub fn build<R, F: FnOnce() -> R>(self, ui: &Ui, f: F) -> Option<R> {
         self.begin(ui).map(|_combo| f())
     }
 }
@@ -172,29 +173,28 @@ create_token!(
 );
 
 /// # Convenience functions
-impl<'a> ComboBox<'a> {
+impl<'a, T: AsRef<str> + Clone> ComboBox<T, Cow<'a, str>> {
     /// Builds a simple combo box for choosing from a slice of values
     #[doc(alias = "BeginCombo")]
-    pub fn build_simple<T, L>(
-        self,
+    pub fn build_simple<V, L>(
+        mut self,
         ui: &Ui,
         current_item: &mut usize,
-        items: &[T],
+        items: &'a [V],
         label_fn: &L,
     ) -> bool
     where
-        for<'b> L: Fn(&'b T) -> Cow<'b, ImStr>,
+        for<'b> L: Fn(&'b V) -> Cow<'b, str>,
     {
         use crate::widget::selectable::Selectable;
         let mut result = false;
-        let mut cb = self;
         let preview_value = items.get(*current_item).map(label_fn);
-        if cb.preview_value.is_none() {
-            if let Some(preview_value) = preview_value.as_ref() {
-                cb = cb.preview_value(preview_value);
+        if self.preview_value.is_none() {
+            if let Some(preview_value) = preview_value {
+                self = self.preview_value(preview_value);
             }
         }
-        if let Some(_cb) = cb.begin(ui) {
+        if let Some(_cb) = self.begin(ui) {
             for (idx, item) in items.iter().enumerate() {
                 let text = label_fn(item);
                 let selected = idx == *current_item;
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ impl<'a> ComboBox<'a> {
     #[doc(alias = "BeginCombo")]
     pub fn build_simple_string<S>(self, ui: &Ui, current_item: &mut usize, items: &[&S]) -> bool
     where
-        S: AsRef<ImStr> + ?Sized,
+        S: AsRef<str> + ?Sized,
     {
         self.build_simple(ui, current_item, items, &|&s| s.as_ref().into())
     }
diff --git a/imgui/src/widget/list_box.rs b/imgui/src/widget/list_box.rs
index 60482f9..70fbce5 100644
--- a/imgui/src/widget/list_box.rs
+++ b/imgui/src/widget/list_box.rs
@@ -1,21 +1,20 @@
 use std::borrow::Cow;
 
-use crate::string::ImStr;
 use crate::sys;
 use crate::Ui;
 
 /// Builder for a list box widget
 #[derive(Copy, Clone, Debug)]
 #[must_use]
-pub struct ListBox<'a> {
-    label: &'a ImStr,
+pub struct ListBox<T> {
+    label: T,
     size: sys::ImVec2,
 }
 
-impl<'a> ListBox<'a> {
+impl<T: AsRef<str>> ListBox<T> {
     /// Constructs a new list box builder.
     #[doc(alias = "ListBoxHeaderVec2", alias = "ListBoxHeaderInt")]
-    pub const fn new(label: &'a ImStr) -> ListBox<'a> {
+    pub fn new(label: T) -> ListBox<T> {
         ListBox {
             label,
             size: sys::ImVec2::zero(),
@@ -29,7 +28,7 @@ impl<'a> ListBox<'a> {
     ///
     /// Default: [0.0, 0.0], in which case the combobox calculates a sensible width and height
     #[inline]
-    pub const fn size(mut self, size: [f32; 2]) -> Self {
+    pub fn size(mut self, size: [f32; 2]) -> Self {
         self.size = sys::ImVec2::new(size[0], size[1]);
         self
     }
@@ -41,7 +40,7 @@ impl<'a> ListBox<'a> {
     /// Returns `None` if the list box is not open and no content should be rendered.
     #[must_use]
     pub fn begin<'ui>(self, ui: &Ui<'ui>) -> Option<ListBoxToken<'ui>> {
-        let should_render = unsafe { sys::igBeginListBox(self.label.as_ptr(), self.size) };
+        let should_render = unsafe { sys::igBeginListBox(ui.scratch_txt(self.label), self.size) };
         if should_render {
             Some(ListBoxToken::new(ui))
         } else {
@@ -52,7 +51,7 @@ impl<'a> ListBox<'a> {
     /// Returns the result of the closure, if it is called.
     ///
     /// Note: the closure is not called if the list box is not open.
-    pub fn build<T, F: FnOnce() -> T>(self, ui: &Ui<'_>, f: F) -> Option<T> {
+    pub fn build<R, F: FnOnce() -> R>(self, ui: &Ui<'_>, f: F) -> Option<R> {
         self.begin(ui).map(|_list| f())
     }
 }
@@ -67,17 +66,17 @@ create_token!(
 );
 
 /// # Convenience functions
-impl<'a> ListBox<'a> {
+impl<T: AsRef<str>> ListBox<T> {
     /// Builds a simple list box for choosing from a slice of values
-    pub fn build_simple<T, L>(
+    pub fn build_simple<V, L>(
         self,
         ui: &Ui,
         current_item: &mut usize,
-        items: &[T],
+        items: &[V],
         label_fn: &L,
     ) -> bool
     where
-        for<'b> L: Fn(&'b T) -> Cow<'b, ImStr>,
+        for<'b> L: Fn(&'b V) -> Cow<'b, str>,
     {
         use crate::widget::selectable::Selectable;
         let mut result = false;
diff --git a/imgui/src/widget/selectable.rs b/imgui/src/widget/selectable.rs
index 398fe37..83fd455 100644
--- a/imgui/src/widget/selectable.rs
+++ b/imgui/src/widget/selectable.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 use bitflags::bitflags;
 
-use crate::string::ImStr;
 use crate::sys;
 use crate::Ui;
 
@@ -25,7 +24,7 @@ bitflags!(
 #[derive(Copy, Clone, Debug)]
 #[must_use]
 pub struct Selectable<'a> {
-    label: &'a ImStr,
+    label: &'a str,
     selected: bool,
     flags: SelectableFlags,
     size: [f32; 2],
@@ -35,9 +34,9 @@ impl<'a> Selectable<'a> {
     /// Constructs a new selectable builder.
     #[inline]
     #[doc(alias = "Selectable")]
-    pub const fn new(label: &ImStr) -> Selectable {
+    pub fn new(label: &'a impl AsRef<str>) -> Selectable<'a> {
         Selectable {
-            label,
+            label: label.as_ref(),
             selected: false,
             flags: SelectableFlags::empty(),
             size: [0.0, 0.0],
@@ -108,10 +107,10 @@ impl<'a> Selectable<'a> {
     /// Builds the selectable.
     ///
     /// Returns true if the selectable was clicked.
-    pub fn build(self, _: &Ui) -> bool {
+    pub fn build(self, ui: &Ui) -> bool {
         unsafe {
             sys::igSelectableBool(
-                self.label.as_ptr(),
+                ui.scratch_txt(self.label),
                 self.selected,
                 self.flags.bits() as i32,
                 self.size.into(),