[Python-Dev] directive statement (PEP 244)

[Guido van Rossum]

> Sorry I wasn't clear. Like \F, I think that the best model is that of
> XML, Java and (I've learned recently) Perl. There should be a single
> encoding for the file. Logically speaking it should be decoded before
> tokenization or parsing. Practically speaking it may be simpler to fake
> this logical decoding in the implementation. I don't care how it is
> implemented. Logically the model should be that any encoding declaration
> affects the interpretation of the *file* not some particular construct
> in the file.

This is the *only* model that makes sense.

> If this is too difficult to implement today then maybe we should wait on
> the whole feature until someone has time to do it right.

Right-o!

--Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/)