Re: Unicode in source code. WHY?

From: Rick McGowan (rmcgowan@apple.com)
Date: Tue Jul 20 1999 - 14:31:19 EDT


Torsten Mohrin wrote...

> IMHO, it's a very stupid
> idea to use Unicode characters in identifiers. I will never use them
> and I will forbid the programmers in my company to use them
> (fortunately I can do that). We use only English based identifiers.
> ...
> I think, the way Java and C9x go is wrong!

Really. If you have in your company many programmers from many countries
who are maintaining a common pool of code, it's probably wise to stick to a
single language for the code-base itself. That's a fine matter for local
policy.

However, the conceit of saying that the programming languages themselves
should stick to only English (or even Latin-script) identifiers implies, to
my mind, the attitude that anyone -- a high-school student in Thailand, for
instance -- who doesn't happen to be facile in English could not possibly
write a program, learn to program, read a program, maintain a program. It's
as if one presumed that the only language in which Literature can be written
is Russian, or what have you. Seems rather absurd.

        Rick



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