[I18n-sig] Strawman Proposal (2): Encoding attributes

[Paul Prescod]

Tim Peters wrote:
> 
> ...
>
> I'm comfortable with saying that, regardless of tech issues.  The keywords
> and builtins and standard libraries are all written with English names no
> matter what, and that maximizes readability regardless of native tongue.

People keep bringing up this issue of keywords. I've never disputed that
the keywords should always be English.

> Now Java has supported Unicode source code since its beginning.  If someone
> can dig up evidence that this has done more than complicate their compilers,
> *that* would be good to hear.  I simply see no (zilch, nada) demand for
> this, outside of a handful of Gallic purists who would abandon the language
> anyway as soon as they realized Guido was Dutch <0.9 wink>.

I'm not personally willing to design in such a limitiation. I have seen
a lot of code that mixes other languages with English. e.g.:

http://starship.python.net/pipermail/python-de/2000q3/000597.html

I don't think this guy is doing anything wrong. If a Japansese person
asks me if they could do the same I would say: "Not now, but hopefully
someday." There are a lot of people who write code that will never be
seen by a speaker of an ASCII-compatible language. Why should they be
forced to write it in ASCII?

 Paul Prescod