Hello to all `recode' pretesters and Python friends. Here is the initial throw for the Recodec program and library. Recodec is the start of a Python prototype for Free Recode. See `Recodec and Free Recode' in the `README' file to know how they relate to one another. The Recodec program and its library, as Free Recode already do, convert files between character sets and usages. They recognise or produce more than 240 different character sets and transliterate files between almost any pair. When exact transliteration are not possible, they get rid of offending characters or fall back on approximations. The `README' is repeated as `http://www.iro.umontreal.ca/~pinard/recodec/', and `http://www.iro.umontreal.ca/~pinard/recodec/Recodec.tar.gz' holds the latest release. This is more a snapshot than a finished release, actually. This is still alpha quality software, which should not be used without caution in a production environment. Pretesters are welcome. Please gently report problems, suggestions or other comments to `mailto:pinard@iro.umontreal.ca'. Recode-related discussions might be held on `mailto:recode-forum@iro.umontreal.ca', this list is opened to its members only. Python specific discussions might go to `mailto:python-list@python.org'. -- François Pinard http://www.iro.umontreal.ca/~pinard