[Python-3000] Support for PEP 3131

[Rauli Ruohonen]

On 6/10/07, "Martin v. Löwis" <martin at v.loewis.de> wrote:
> > To truly enable Python in a non-English teaching
> > environment, I think you'd actually want to go a step
> > further and just internationalize the whole program.
>
> I don't know why that theory keeps popping up when people
> have repeatedly pointed out that it is just false.

It isn't contrary to the PEP either. If somebody wants to go a step
further with syntax (keywords etc), then they can provide alternative BNF
syntaxes for different languages. It wouldn't necessitate any changes to
PEP 3131. OTOH, PEP 3131 cannot be implemented at the syntax level.

> People *can* get used to the keywords of Python even if
> they have no clue what they mean. There is plenty of
> evidence for that. Likewise for the standard library.

True, but your PEP does not preclude later implementing the "step
further". For libraries the step further would mean separate wrapped
versions, as there probably isn't any other general solution. Using
gettext() or something for identifiers would easily break with
introspection, and would in any case be complicated (which is worse than
complex, which is worse than simple, and wrappers are simple :-).

BTW, I submitted the normalization patch for 2.6, if you want to look
at it.