[Python-Dev] Python and the Unicode Character Database

[Steven D'Aprano]

Martin v. Löwis wrote:
>>> I think the OP (haiyang kang) already indicated that he finds it quite
>>> unlikely that anybody would possibly want to enter that.
>> Who's talking about *entering* it into the program at a keyboard
>> directly, though? Input to a program can come from all kinds of crazy
>> sources. Just because it wasn't typed by the person at the keyboard
>> using this program doesn't stop it being input to the program.
> 
> I think haiyang kang claimed exactly that - it won't ever be input to a
> program. I trust him on that - and so should you, unless you have
> sufficient experience with the Chinese language and writing system.
> 
>> Note that I'm not saying this is common. Nor am I saying it's a
>> desirable situation. I'm saying it is a feasible use case, to be
>> dismissed only if there is strong evidence that it's not used by
>> existing Python code.
> 
> And indeed, for the Chinese numerals, we have such strong evidence.

With full respect to haiyang kang, hear-say from one person can hardly 
be described as "strong" evidence -- particularly, as Alexander 
Belopolsky pointed out, the use-case described isn't currently supported 
by Python. Given that what haiyang kang describes *can't* be done, the 
fact that people don't do it is hardly surprising -- nor is it a good 
reason for taking away functionality that does exist.



-- 
Steven