[Python-Dev] Unicode character names

[Paul Prescod]

"Andrew M. Kuchling" wrote:
> 
> Paul Prescod writes:
> >The new \N escape interpolates named characters within strings. For
> >example, "Hi! \N{WHITE SMILING FACE}" evaluates to a string with a
> >unicode smiley face at the end.
> 
> Cute idea, and it certainly means you can avoid looking up Unicode
> numbers.  (You can look up names instead. :) )  

More important, though, the code is "self documenting". You never have
to go from the number back to the name.

> Note that this means the
> Unicode database is no longer optional if this is done; it has to be
> around at code-parsing time.  

I don't like the idea enough to exclude support for small machines or
anything like that. We should way the costs of requiring the Unicode
database at compile time.

> (Is Perl5.6 actually
> dragging around the Unicode database in the binary, or is it read out
> of some external file or data structure?)

I have no idea.

-- 
 Paul Prescod  - ISOGEN Consulting Engineer speaking for himself
"I and my companions suffer from a disease of the heart that can only
be cured with gold", Hernan Cortes