[Python-Dev] PEP 393 Summer of Code Project (original) (raw)

Antoine Pitrou solipsis at pitrou.net
Thu Sep 1 18:46:02 CEST 2011

The example given was someone who didn't agree with how a particular font rendered those accented characters. I agree that's obscure though.

I recall long ago that when the french wrote words in all caps they would drop the accents, e.g. ECOLE. I even recall (through the mists of time) observing this in Paris on public signs. Is this still the convention? Maybe it only was a compromise in the time of Morse code?

I think it is tolerated, partly because typing support (on computers and typewriters) has been weak. On a French keyboard, you have an "é" key, but shifting it gives you "2", not "É". The latter can be obtained using the Caps Lock key under Linux, but not under Windows.

(so you could also write Éric's name "Eric", for example)

That said, most typographies nowadays seem careful to keep the accents on uppercase letters (e.g. on book covers; AFAIR, road signs also keep the accents, but I'm no driver).

Regards

Antoine.

More information about the Python-Dev mailing list