How does IDLE do it?

[Eric Brunel]

In article <mailman.88.1297395660.1633.python-list at python.org>,
 "Richard D. Moores" <rdmoores at gmail.com> wrote:

> I recently wrote some code that prints information about the 'jukugo'
> used in Japanese newspaper articles. A jukugo is a Japanese word
> written with at least 2 kanji. An example of a 2-kanji jukugo is 危機
> (kiki -- crisis). I found that I could not use my usual IDE to render
> the Japanese correctly in either the code or the output. But IDLE
> (version 3.1.2; Windows Vista) does a beautiful job! See screen shots
> <http://www.rcblue.com/Misc/Japanese_in_code_with_Courier_New_in_IDLE.jpg>
> and
> <http://www.rcblue.com/Misc/Japanese_output_with_Courier_New_in_IDLE.jpg>.
> (The whole script plus output is at
> <http://tutoree7.pastebin.com/xLsRfTSQ>.)
> 
> I'd like to know how the IDLE developers did this. How can IDLE not
> have a problem with Japanese using Courier New, Calibri, even Fences
> or Windings! (For Wingdings, see
> <http://www.rcblue.com/Misc/Japanese_and_Wingdings.jpg>.)

IDLE doesn't do anything, tk does. When a character is not available in a given font,
tk looks up for one containing it by itself and uses it automatically.

> Thanks,
> 
> Dick Moores