[Python-Dev] #pragmas in Python source code

[Fred L. Drake, Jr.]

Fredrik Lundh writes:
 > -- item (3) is for backwards compatibility only.  might be okay to
 > change this in Py3K, but not before that.
 >
 > -- leave the implementation of (1) to 1.7.  for now, assume that
 > scripts have the default encoding, which means that (2) cannot
 > happen.

  We shouldn't need to change it then; Unicode editing capabilities
will be pervasive by then, right?  Oh, heck, it might even be legacy
support by then!  ;)
  Seriously, I'd hesitate to change any interpretation of default
encoding until Unicode support is pervasive and fully automatic in
tools like Notepad, vi/vim, XEmacs, and BBedit/Alpha (or whatever
people use on MacOS these days).  If I can't use teco on it, we're
being too pro-active!  ;)

 > -- we still need an encoding marker for ascii supersets (how about
 > <?python encoding="utf-8" version="1.6"?> ;-).  however, it's up to
 > the tokenizer to detect that one, not the parser.  the parser only
 > sees unicode strings.

  Agreed here.  But shouldn't that be:

	<?python version="1.6" encoding="utf-8"?>

This is war, I tell you, war!  ;)
  Now, just need to hack the exec(2) call on all the Unices so that
<?python version="..." ...?> is properly recognized and used to run
the scripts properly, obviating the need for those nasty shbang
lines!  ;)


  -Fred

--
Fred L. Drake, Jr.	  <fdrake at acm.org>
Corporation for National Research Initiatives