[Python-3000] Support for PEP 3131

[Ka-Ping Yee]

Guillaume Proux wrote:
> It is my understanding that the only remaining objection for unicode
> in identifier is for claimed security issues.

You're missing much of the debate.  Please read this message:

    http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-3000/2007-May/007855.html

Steve Howell wrote:
> I think now that PEP 3131 has been accepted, you can coarsely frame
> the remaining conflict as between ascii lovers and non-ascii lovers

To pit this as "ascii lovers vs. non-ascii lovers" is a pretty large
oversimplification.  You could name them "people who want to be able
to know what the code says" and "people who don't mind not being able
to know what the code says".  Or you could name them "people who want
Python's lexical syntax to be something they fully understand" and
"people who don't mind the extra complexity".  Or "people who don't
want Python's lexical syntax to be tied to a changing external
standard" and "people who don't mind the extra variability."

However you characterize them, keep in mind that those in the former
group are asking for default behaviour that 100% of Python users
already use and understand.  There's no cost to keeping identifiers
ASCII-only because that's what Python already does.

I think that's a pretty strong reason for making the new, more complex
behaviour optional.


-- ?!ng