[Python-Dev] Python and the Unicode Character Database

[Alexander Belopolsky]

On Sun, Nov 28, 2010 at 6:03 PM, "Martin v. Löwis" <martin at v.loewis.de> wrote:
..
>> Note that the support in float() (and the other numeric constructors)
>> to work with Unicode code points was explicitly added when Unicode
>> support was added to Python and has been available since Python 1.6.
>
> That doesn't necessarily make it useful. Alexander's complaint is that
> it makes Python unstable (i.e. changing as the UCD changes).
>

What makes it worse, is that while superficially, Unicode versions
follow the same X.Y.Z format as Python versions, the stability
promises are completely different.  For example, it appears that the
general category for the ZERO WIDTH SPACE was changed in Unicode
4.0.1.  I don't think a change affecting str.split(), int(), float()
and probably numerous other library functions would be acceptable in a
Python micro release.