[Tutor] sys.getfilesystemencoding()

[Albert-Jan Roskam]

----- Original Message -----
> From: eryksun <eryksun at gmail.com>
> To: Albert-Jan Roskam <fomcl at yahoo.com>
> Cc: Python Mailing List <tutor at python.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, December 18, 2012 2:52 PM
> Subject: Re: [Tutor] sys.getfilesystemencoding()
> 
> On Tue, Dec 18, 2012 at 8:13 AM, Albert-Jan Roskam <fomcl at yahoo.com> 
> wrote:
>> 
>> # Python 2.6.4 (r264:75708, Oct 26 2009, 08:23:19)
>>   [MSC v.1500 32 bit (Intel)] on win32
>> 
>> import sys
>> 
>> def _encodeFileName(fn):
>>     """Helper function to encode unicode file names into 
> system file names.
>>     http://effbot.org/pyref/sys.getfilesystemencoding.htm"""
>>     isWindows = sys.platform.startswith("win")
>>     isUnicode = isinstance(fn, unicode)
>>     if isUnicode:  # and not isWindows
>>         encoding = sys.getfilesystemencoding()  # 'mbcs' on Windows, 
> 'utf-8' on Linux
>>         encoding = "utf-8" if not encoding else encoding
>>         return fn.encode(encoding)
>>     return fn
> 
> 
> Use unicode filenames. CPython encodes them with the file system
> encoding, with an exception to use the internal UTF-16 on Windows. See
> fileobject.c (2.6.4 links):
> 
> file_init (2170-2185):
> http://hg.python.org/cpython/file/8803c3d61da2/Objects/fileobject.c#l2150
> 
> open_the_file (269-283):
> http://hg.python.org/cpython/file/8803c3d61da2/Objects/fileobject.c#l230
 
 
Hi Peter, Eryksun,
 
Thank you for your replies. My code example was simplified, maybe too simplified. The parameter <fn> actually
is a parameter of a C function (c_char_p). So I have to encode it as a byte string.
 
Good to know though that when writing files 'the regular way' things are a bit easier. Judging from the squares/tofu, the symbols can not be represented on my system. I installed a telugu.ttf to see it that would solve it, but unless I need to reboot first, it doesn't.
 
Why I want to do this, you ask? Just 'because'. ;-) It's fun to try and make one's program crash and look for the solution. 
 
Thanks again guys, I appreciate it.
 
Albert-Jan