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

[Tim Peters]

[Tim, continues to question whether Unicode identifiers
 are market-driven or head-driven]

[Paul Prescod]
> We will see. Before Unicode it would have been very hard to do this and
> yet achieve source code portability between systems. Unicode and the
> tools and languages that use it are just being deployed.

Java has supported Unicode identifiers since its start, and is far more
widely used than Python.  If you can't find supporting evidence of actual
user demand there (I failed to) ...

> ...
> But I'll say again that I think it would be a big mistake to add
> any further impedements to getting there.

Who has proposed adding an impediment?  If someone did, I missed it.

>> it's-a-programming-language-not-a-word-processor-ly y'rs  - tim

> I don't understand your fundamental point.

Simplicity.

I like the ECMAScript (nee JavaScript) rule:  identifiers are Unicode.  But
only a subset of the first 128 Unicode characters are allowed <0.9 wink>.

> ...
> I'm not claiming it's a burning need, but I don't see why a Japanese
> teenager learning to program for the first time would choose to use a
> language that requires English variable names over one that offered
> choice.

Try asking one?  For example, ask Yukihiro Matsumoto why Ruby's set of
allowed identifiers is the same as Python's.  If a Japanese language
designer sees no need to support Japanese identifiers, I'm not going to
presume I know Japanese programmer needs better than him -- or that you do
either.

> ...
> Where's Greg Wilson when I need him?

Doubt he's on this SIG; mailto:gvwilson@nevex.com.