[Python-3000] Support for PEP 3131

[Steve Howell]

--- "Martin v. Löwis" <martin at v.loewis.de> wrote:

> > I think this whole debate could be put to rest by
> > agreeing to err on the side of ascii in 3.0 beta,
> and
> > if in real world experience, that turns out to be
> the
> > wrong decision, simply fix it in 3.0 production,
> 3.1,
> > or 3.2.
> 

I wrote this a while back, and at the time I wrote, I
felt it was a pretty reasonable statement.

Having said that, after following this thread a little
more...

> Likewise, this whole debate could also be put to
> rest
> by agreeing to err on the side of unrestricted
> support
> for the PEP, and if that turns out to be the wrong
> decision, simply fix any problems discovered in 3.0
> production, 3.1, or 3.2.
> 

...I am now in favor of the PEP, with no restrictions,
even though it now goes a little further than I'd
like.

I wish the debate would turn to actual use cases.  For
example, one of the arguments behind PEP 3131 is that
it will facilitate the use of Python in educational
environments.  It would be interesting to hear from
actual teachers what their biggest impediments to
using Python are right now.  It could be that the lack
of foreign language documentation is far bigger an
impediment to using Python in a Chinese classroom than
the current restrictions on ASCII identifiers.  It
could be that the standard library involves knowing
too much English, which PEP 3131 won't really address.
 It could be that teachers simply want error messages
to be internationalized, so that students can follow
tracebacks, and identifiers aren't really an issue. 
It could be that some foreign schools actually embrace
the use of an English alphabet in Python, as it allows
for a more integrated education opportunity (students
learn an important programming language while
simultaneously mastering one of the world's most
commercially important written languages...).







       
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