[Python-Dev] Removing Non-Unicode Support?

[M.-A. Lemburg]

Jeff Rush wrote:
> M.-A. Lemburg wrote:
> 
>> I'd say that the parties interested in non-Unicode versions of
>> Python should maintain these branches of Python. Dito for other
>> stripped down versions.
> 
> I understand where you're coming from but the embedded market I
> encounter tends to focus on the hardware side.  If they can get a
> marketing star by grabbing Python off-the shelf, tweak the build and
> produce something to include with their product, they will. But if they
> have to maintain a branch, they'll just go with the defacto C API most
> such devices use.
> 
>> Note that this does not mean that we should forget about memory
>> consumption issues. It's just that if there's only marginal
>> interest in certain special builds of Python, I don't see the
>> requirement for the Python core developers to maintain them.
> 
> These requirements of customization may not be a strong case for today
> but could be impacting future growth of the language in certain
> sectors.  I'm a rabid Python evangelist and alway try to push Python
> into more nooks and crannies of the marketplace, similar to how the
> Linux kernel is available from the tiniest machines to the largest
> iron.  If the focus of Python is to be strictly a desktop, conventional
> (mostly ;-) language, restricting its adaptability to other less
> interesting environments may be a reasonable tradeoff to improve its
> maintainability.  But adaptability, especially when you don't fully grok
> where or how it will be used, can also be a competitive advantage.

I don't think this is a strong enough case to warrant having
to maintain a separate branch of the Python core.

Even platforms like Palm nowadays have enough RAM to cope with
the 100kB or so that Unicode support adds.

-- 
Marc-Andre Lemburg
eGenix.com

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