[Python-ideas] Add "htmlcharrefreplace" error handler

Stefan Drees stefan at drees.name
Fri Jun 14 12:57:26 CEST 2013


On 2013-06-14 12:43 CEST, Paul Moore wrote:
> On 14 June 2013 11:11, M.-A. Lemburg ...wrote:
>
>     I'm not sure I follow. I've definitely had use cases for the
>     proposed error handler in the past and have written my own
>     set of tools to do such conversions.
>
>
> Just as an extra data point, I have also had need for this functionality
> in the past. It is sometimes possible to use xmlcharrefreplace as an
> alternative, but having the "named" entities in the output is often
> useful for debugging, if nothing else.
>
> The technicalities of HTML/HTTP encodings are not so much the issue
> here. Much of the output of programs that would use this functionality,
> while ultimately intended for consumption on the web, is often read in a
> text editor as part of debugging and review, if nothing else. For that
> purpose, readable output is very useful. And sticking to ASCII, while
> not essential, certainly helps in an environment like Windows where
> UTF-8 is *not* universal (whether it should be is really not the point
> here).

just to add to this:
I have grown a hard wired reflex when handing over program source files 
to admins for deployment in windows operating system driven HTML/HTTP 
environments to:

Ensure the admin has an editor at hand to check that the utf-8 clean 
encoded text files she received do not suddenly become BOM-ed under the 
radar just because the admin changed some local file path in a config 
file or the like and subsequently stored it "subconsciously".

The time otherwise lost in hunting mystery effects counts in days but 
feels like weeks ...

And yes, I often have to deliver utf-8 files to "ease" the HTML/HTTP 
handling chain, but in debugging situations IMO it seems to be good to 
easily resort a pure ASCII representation without writing extra routines 
for it.

All the best,
Stefan.




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