[Python-ideas] Truly international Python

[Bruce Leban]

On Tue, Nov 30, 2010 at 9:46 AM, Dima Tisnek <dimaqq at gmail.com> wrote:

>
> Now the larger part of the world's children doesn't learn English
> before school, therefore we need to have truly localized Python.
>
> Of course there are concerns for many languages:
> Each language needs to establish stable translations for keywords,
> basic types, standard modules, methods in standard modules, etc.
> Some languages don't support word spaces natively
> Some languages have different punctuation rules, e.g. comma for decimal
> point
> Some languages use different quotes
> RTL languages spell words RTL yet (some/all?) spell numbers LTR
> Hopefully none has to recreate 10,000-separator system ;-)
>

This is not a new idea. Algol 68 had keywords that could be in different
languages as they were marked in a way that ensured that they didn't
conflict with variable names. See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stropping_(programming). At least Algol limited
this to keywords.

The idea that we can't share code unless we both have the same version of
python and the right set of localized extensions seems like a compatibility
nightmare.


On Tue, Nov 30, 2010 at 6:47 PM, Dima Tisnek <dimaqq at gmail.com> wrote:

>
> *) Western world uss 'three fifths" for fractions, while Asia uses
> "fifths three" in spoken language.
>   Similar differences could pop up with "a and b or c" or "b if a
> else c" types of expressions.
>   I say it doesn't matter much for core Python as long as same
> bytecode is generated.
>
>
1-

I think that translating other syntax (e.g., writing 5 \ 3 instead of 3 / 5)
is asking for trouble. The syntax of mathematics doesn't change in other
languages.


--- Bruce
Latest blog post: http://www.vroospeak.com/2010/11/enduring-joe-barton.html
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