[Python-ideas] Non-ASCII in Python syntax? [was: Null coalescing operator]

[David Mertz]

My vim configuration for a year or two has looked something like this (the
screenshot doesn't show the empty set symbol, but that's part of my conceal
configuration: http://gnosis.cx/bin/.vim/after/syntax/python.vim).

On Sun, Oct 30, 2016 at 7:13 AM, Chris Angelico <rosuav at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Mon, Oct 31, 2016 at 12:39 AM, Paul Moore <p.f.moore at gmail.com> wrote:
> > It's certainly not difficult, in principle. I have (had, I lost it in
> > an upgrade recently...) a little AutoHotkey program that interpreted
> > Vim-style digraphs in any application that needed them. But my point
> > was that we don't want to require people to write such custom
> > utilities, just to be able to write Python code. Or is the feeling
> > that it's acceptable to require that?
>
> There's a chicken-and-egg problem. So long as most people don't have
> tools like that, a language that requires them is going to be very
> annoying - but so long as no major language uses such characters,
> there's no reason for developers to set up those kinds of tools.
>
> Possibly the best way is a gentle introduction of alternative
> syntaxes. Since Python currently has no "empty set display" syntax,
> that seems like a perfect starting point. You can always type "set()",
> but that involves an actual function call; using ∅ gives a small
> performance boost, eliminates the risk of shadowing, etc, etc. All
> minor points, but could be convenient enough. Also, if repr(set())
> returns "∅", it'll be easy for anyone to get hold of the character for
> copy/paste.
>
> As of 2016, I think it's not acceptable to *require* this, but it may
> be time to start making use of it, retaining ASCII-only digraphs and
> trigraphs, the way C has alternative spelling for braces and so on.
> Then time passes, most people will be comfortable using the characters
> themselves, and the digraphs/trigraphs can be deprecated, with new
> syntax not being given any.
>
> Pipe dream?
>
> ChrisA
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