[Python-Dev] PEP 263 - default encoding (original) (raw)

M.-A. Lemburg mal@lemburg.com
Wed, 13 Mar 2002 11:01:19 +0100

Ok, let me summarize what I have learned in this thread:

  1. People who used tweaked default encodings for Python have a problem with the interpreter defaulting to this default encoding for Python source files.

  2. Source files which were written on platforms with differently tweaked default encoding and without explicit magic comment stating the source file encoding may cause trouble.

  3. The Japanese user who wrote to me about the problem with having to regularly switch between two different encodings (one on Windows, one on Unix) has withdrawn his request. This request originally lead to the idea of using the interpreter's default encoding as default for the source files as well.

My conclusion to all this is to withdraw the default encoding idea and replace it with the fixed ASCII default. This default won't be changeable by other means that adding an explicit header to the source file.

If anyone has objections, please speak up.

Note that I don't want to head on into the UTF-8 discussion that has been going on. People who want the UTF-8 source code encoding must use the UTF-8 coding header (and/or the BOM mark).

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

Company & Consulting: http://www.egenix.com/ Python Software: http://www.egenix.com/files/python/