Re: Unicode in source code. WHY?

From: Jean-Yves Fortin (jyfortin@dsi-51.ic.gc.ca)
Date: Tue Jul 20 1999 - 13:36:01 EDT


At 11h03 -0400 1999/07/20, Torsten Mohrin wrote:
>Hiro,
>
>You wrote:
>
>><tag> ... </tag>
>>
>>I'd like to use my native language in the <tag>s
>
>XML/SGML tags are a kind of internal/hidden thing, like C++ code. No
>"normal" user should ever see it. IMHO, we should concentrate on
>internationalizing the more visible aspects of software.
>
>If you use "neutral" (english) tags, it will be easier to map them by
>a simple table to any language. Most SGML editors allow such mapping,
>so the tags will remain stable. If the editor is properly configured,
>the author will never see the english tags.
>

Obviously, due to the nature of the beasts, English has been (and still is)
prevailing both as the vocabulary of programming languages and of tagging
structures. The closest one can get to real "neutral" tags would be to use
"numeric tags". They are linguistically neutral, understood world wide
and, from a "behind the scene person", manageable.

The US Library of Congress when it created the MARC format only used
numbers for tagging information. There is nothing in XML/SGML preventing
the use of numeric tags.

If we understand that actual programs, at the end, are binary machine
instructions, it makes sense that higher level languages use other forms of
presentation. Why then restrict this to English, pseudo-English, or other
limiting factors. It all depends where and how it is used.

What is far more important is to ensure that ALL user interface and
interaction is conducted in the language of the user and that Operating
Systems, Applications and communications make language localisation
available.

The basic question is: Are programmers "users"? :-)

Jean-Yves

>But maybe I'm a bit too "englishized". Anyway, thanks for your
>comments.
>
>Torsten
>
>
>--
>Torsten Mohrin
>Sharmahd Computing GmbH, Hannover, Germany
>Phone: +49-511-13780, Fax: +49-511-13450
>http://www.sharmahd.com, mohrin@sharmahd.com

Jean-Yves Fortin (mailto:jyfortin@tsacc.ic.gc.ca)
Secrétariat du CCCNT - TSACC Secretariat
[Conseil consultatif canadien sur les normes de télécommunications
Telecommunications Standards Advisory Council of Canada]
Tél. +1 613 990 4290 Fax +1 613 957 8845
Mailto:admin@tsacc.ic.gc.ca
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