[Python-ideas] Fix default encodings on Windows

[Chris Barker]

Just to make sure this is clear, the Pragmatic logic is thus:

* There are more *nix-centric developers in the Python ecosystem than
Windows-centric (or even Windows-agnostic) developers.

* The bytes path approach works fine on *nix systems.

* Whatever might be Right and Just -- the reality is that a number of
projects, including important and widely used libraries and frameworks, use
the bytes API for working with filenames and paths, etc.

Therefore, there is a lot of code that does not work right on Windows.

Currently, to get it to work right on Windows, you need to write Windows
specific code, which many folks don't want or know how to do (or just can't
support one way or the other).

So the Solution is to either:

 (A) get everyone to use Unicode  "properly", which will work on all
platforms (but only on py3.5 and above?)

or

(B) kludge some *nix-compatible support for byte paths into Windows, that
will work at least much of the time.

It's clear (to me at least) that (A) it the "Right Thing", but real world
experience has shown that it's unlikely to happen any time soon.

Practicality beats Purity and all that -- this is a judgment call.

Have I got that right?

-CHB


-- 

Christopher Barker, Ph.D.
Oceanographer

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