Re: Opinions on this Java URL?

From: A. Vine (andrea.vine@Sun.COM)
Date: Fri Nov 12 2004 - 18:36:42 CST

  • Next message: Elliotte Harold: "Re: Opinions on this Java URL?"

    Theodore H. Smith wrote:

    > I take your point that you are well aware of this. However some of your
    > users are not so aware, having read your information on "Modified UTF-8"
    > and thinking "hey, well is Sun do it, then it must be OK for me to do it
    > too!"

    Fair enough, it would be more helpful if you said that initially.

    >
    > This thread, was inspired by exactly that. Someone point me to this
    > page, using it as "proof" that modified UTF-8 is an acceptable thing to do.
    >
    > While you are well aware, the users aren't. I think it would be a good
    > idea to add a small note saying that this feature is going to be changed
    > in future versions of Java, or perhaps Deprecated, due to its
    > incompatibility. Just a small note, on that page and similar pages, with
    > the phrase "This will be deprecated in the future because it currently
    > contradicts the standard behaviour"... that would make a *huge* difference.

    Fine. Java has a way of submitting requests, FYI:

    http://bugs.sun.com/services/bugreport/index.jsp

    I will relay your request to the Java team, but it will get more
    attention if you submit a request. It will get even more attention if
    people vote for that request to be implemented.

    >
    > That aside.
    >
    > I'm just curious about the \0 thing. What problems would having a \0 in
    > UTF-8 present, that are not presented by having \0 in ASCII? I can't see
    > any advantage there.

    Beats me, I wasn't there. None of the Java folks I know were there either.

    >
    > The only advantage I can imagine, would be using UTF-8 for storing \0 in
    > places that previously weren't possible. To me, that sounds like a
    > strange way to add a feature.

    Maybe that's it. Maybe there was some old platform compatibility issue
    someone somewhere was thinking of.

    >
    > On 12 Nov 2004, at 23:58, A. Vine wrote:
    >
    >> FYI, we are well aware of this shortcoming (modified UTF-8), and with
    >> each release try to mitigate it even further. The problem is that it
    >> is so deep in the code (note that it is since Java 1.0) that it is not
    >> easy to eliminate without breaking a lot of existing stuff, something
    >> that the Java team strive to avoid.
    >>
    >> Theodore H. Smith wrote:
    >>
    >>> http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5.0/docs/api/java/io/
    >>> DataInput.html#modified-utf-8
    >>> If only people could sue for suggesting bad coding practices ;o)
    >>> --
    >>> Theodore H. Smith - Software Developer.
    >>> http://www.elfdata.com
    >>
    >>
    >>
    >



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