[Python-Dev] open(): set the default encoding to 'utf-8' in Python 3.3?

Terry Reedy tjreedy at udel.edu
Tue Jun 28 16:36:23 CEST 2011


On 6/28/2011 10:02 AM, M.-A. Lemburg wrote:

> How about a more radical change: have open() in Py3 default to
> opening the file in binary mode, if no encoding is given (even
> if the mode doesn't include 'b') ?
>
> That'll make it compatible to the Py2 world again

I disagree. I believe
S = open('myfile.txt').read()
now return a text string in both Py2 and Py3 and a subsequent
'abc' in S
works in both.

 > and avoid all the encoding guessing.

> Making such default encodings depend on the locale has already
> failed to work when we first introduced a default encoding in
> Py2, so I don't understand why we are repeating the same
> mistake again in Py3 (only in a different area).

I do not remember any proposed change during the Py3 design discussions.

> Note that in Py2, Unix applications often leave out the 'b'
> mode, since there's no difference between using it or not.

I believe it makes a difference now as to whether one gets str or bytes.

> Only on Windows, you'll see a difference.

I believe the only difference now on Windows is the decoding used, not 
the return type.

-- 
Terry Jan Reedy



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