[Python-Dev] Unicode character names

[Andrew M. Kuchling]

Paul Prescod writes:
>The new \N escape interpolates named characters within strings. For
>example, "Hi! \N{WHITE SMILING FACE}" evaluates to a string with a
>unicode smiley face at the end. 

Cute idea, and it certainly means you can avoid looking up Unicode
numbers.  (You can look up names instead. :) )  Note that this means the
Unicode database is no longer optional if this is done; it has to be
around at code-parsing time.  Python could import it automatically, as
exceptions.py is imported.  Christian's work on compressing
unicodedatabase.c is therefore really important.  (Is Perl5.6 actually
dragging around the Unicode database in the binary, or is it read out
of some external file or data structure?)

-- 
A.M. Kuchling			http://starship.python.net/crew/amk/
About ten days later, it being the time of year when the National collected
down and outs to walk on and understudy I arrived at the head office of the
National Theatre in Aquinas Street in Waterloo.
    -- Tom Baker, in his autobiography