At 14:28 -0700 8/6/1999, Peter_Constable@sil.org wrote:
>>When the vendor later defines a formerly undefined code position, there
>>really
>is no feasible alternative to updating your table(s). Once someone starts
>using the newly defined code point, you must map it correctly.
>
>We have seen a case of this fairly recently: Until a year or so ago, x80, x8E
>and x9E were undefined in CP1252, but now they are defined to map to U+20AC,
>U+017D and U+017E. I know a *lot* of people for whom this created
>problems, but
>as Ken has suggested, there really is no option but to acknowledge these
>changes
>and adapt accordingly.
>
>
>Peter
[sigh] Wouldn't it be nice if
[1] owners always put new version numbers on code sets when changing the
definitions,
[2] software used any available version data as part of file format
definitions
?
(I know that this opens new cans of worms.)
Does anyone feel the need for a conversion utility that would have all the
known details of such things in a database with both user control and good
default heuristics? Is this an idea worth money to the right people? I know
that there are character set detection functions in some Internet software.
-- Edward Cherlin edward.cherlin.sy.67@aya.yale.edu "It isn't what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you know that ain't so."--Mark Twain, or else some other prominent 19th century humorist and wit
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