[Python-Dev] PEP 293, Codec Error Handling Callbacks

[Guido van Rossum]

> I'd like to put the following PEP up for pronouncement. Walter
> is currently on vacation, but he asked me to already go ahead
> with the process.
> 
> 	http://www.python.org/peps/pep-0293.html
> 
> I like the patch a lot and the implementation strategy is very
> interesting as well (just wish that classes were new types --
> then things could run a tad faster and the patch would be
> simpler).
> 
> The basic idea of the patch is to provide a way to elegantly
> handle error situations in codecs which go beyond the standard
> cases 'ignore', 'replace' and 'strict', e.g. to automagically
> escape problem case, to log errors for later review or to
> fetch additional information for the proper handling at coding
> time (for example, fetching entity definitions from a URL).

I know you want me to pronounce on this, but I'd like to abstain.

I have no experience in using codecs to have any kind of sense about
whether this is good or not.  If you feel confident that it's good,
you can make the decision on your own.  If you'r not yet confident, I
suggest getting more review.  I do note that the patch is humungous
(isn't everything related to Unicode? :-) so might need more review
before it goes it.

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