[Python-Dev] Re: PEP 263 - default encoding

[M.-A. Lemburg]

Atsuo Ishimoto wrote:
> 
> Hello,
> 
> I am a Japanese who sent a request to MAL. Let me explain about some
> issues.
> 
> 1. I didn't request to make sys.defaultencoding() as default.
> This is a part of the mail I sent you.
> 
> > 2. "native encoding" specifier
> >
> > A special encoding name such as "native" or "defaultencoding"
> > that means "to obey sys.defaultencoding()" may helpful.  Here in
> > Japan, we use two character encodings, ShiftJIS on Windows and
> > EUC-JP on various Unix.  When we move Python source files among
> > these platforms, we usually have to convert the file encoding of
> > the source files (just like as you convert CR+LF to LF when you
> > move text files from Windows to Unix).  Not only tools for
> > manual encoding conversion, we also have a patched version of
> > CVS to do it automatically.  However, if we fix a file encoding
> > by a magic comment, the task of encoding conversion will be
> > complicated, because we should scan source files and update the
> > magic comment when moving the files from one platform to the
> > other.  If we can use a "defaultencoding" encoding that the
> > actual meaning varies among platforms, we can safely convert the
> > file encoding without editing the magic comment, so that we can
> > use common encoding conversion tools such as nkf(1), ack(1) and
> > the patched version of CVS.
> 
> What I wanted is "special encoding name" that refers to sys.defaultencoding().
> But, as I told to MAL,  I changed my mind because I found I can create
> new special codec to do this, and it's pretty easy.

Sorry for my misinterpretation.
 
> I'm sorry for late for sending mail about misapprehension, but I'm not
> on this list and I didn't know this until today. It is easier for me and
> other Japanese to join discussion if you move this topic to i18n-sig.
> (And if you can bear my English. The mail I sent to MAL was translated
> to English by Tamito, an author of the JapaneseCodecs).
> 
> About default encoding, I agree with ascii.

Great !

BTW, writing a codec which simply redirects to the encoding
given in sys.getdefaultencoding() is easy. But because of all
the troubles this can cause, I wouldn't recommend it.
 
> 2. Code conversion is necessary for Japanese programmers.
> 
> I think Python core don't have to mention about Japanese specific
> issues, because PEP 263 is general enough to support our encodings.

Good.

-- 
Marc-Andre Lemburg
CEO eGenix.com Software GmbH
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