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

[Nick Coghlan]

On Wed, Jun 29, 2011 at 7:42 AM, Georg Brandl <g.brandl at gmx.net> wrote:
> On 28.06.2011 14:24, Terry Reedy wrote:
>> I think a PEP is needed.
>
> Absolutely.  And I hope the hypothetical PEP would be rejected in this form.
>
> We need to stop making incompatible changes to Python 3.  We had the chance
> and took it to break all kinds of stuff, some of it gratuitous, with 3.0 and
> even 3.1.  Now the users need a period of compatibility and stability (just
> like the language moratorium provided for one aspect of Python).

+1 to everything Georg said.

- nothing can change in 3.2
- perhaps provide a way for an application to switch the default
behaviour between 'locale' and 'utf-8' in 3.3
- if this is done, also provide a way to explicitly request the
'locale' behaviour (likely via a locale dependent codec alias)
- maybe start thinking about an actual transition to 'utf-8' as
default in the 3.4/5 time frame

Cheers,
Nick.

-- 
Nick Coghlan   |   ncoghlan at gmail.com   |   Brisbane, Australia