PEP263 (Specifying encoding) and bytecode strings

[Alex Martelli]

Peter Hansen wrote:

> Tony Meyer wrote:
>> 
>> As per PEP 0263 [1], Python 2.3b1 gives out a depreciation warning if
>> non-ascii chars are used and there isn't a specific encoding on the
>> file.
> 
> Just a nit to pick:  it's "deprecation", not "depreciation".  It's
> pronounced and spelled differently, and although several online
> dictionaries seem to consider the two to be synonyms, I believe it's
> fair to say that in the computer world they are used in very clear
> and different ways.

American Heritage is as clear as usual in pointing out the issue:

"""
The first and fully accepted meaning of deprecate is ?to express disapproval 
of.? But the word has steadily encroached on the meaning of depreciate. It 
is now used, almost to the exclusion of depreciate, in the sense ?to 
belittle or mildly disparage,? as in He deprecated his own contribution. In 
an earlier survey, this newer sense was approved by a majority of the Usage 
Panel. 
"""

But NOTE that the encroachment is all ONE WAY: it's become perfectly
acceptable American English to say "deprecate" in the meaning that was
originally only held by "depreciate" (i.e. "belittle"), but it's still
*NOT* acceptable to say "depreciate" when what you mean is the original
meaning of "deprecate" (i.e., "disapprove").

Old and obsolete features are not just "belittled", they are outright
*disapproved*.  Therefore, "deprecation" is STILL the only correct word
to use here (even though in other contexts and idioms "deprecate" has
taken over in both roles).


Alex