Re: Opinions on this Java URL?

From: Norbert Lindenberg (Norbert.Lindenberg@Sun.COM)
Date: Mon Nov 15 2004 - 12:20:31 CST

  • Next message: Christopher Fynn: "Re: Opinions on this Java URL?"

    Theodore,

    Thank you for your feedback. Adding a warning to the description in
    DataInput sounds like a good idea. In the meantime, if somebody wants
    to use modified UTF-8 outside the Java context, please point them to
    http://java.sun.com/developer/technicalArticles/Intl/Supplementary/
    index.html#Modified_UTF-8

    Unfortunately, since this encoding is widely used within the Java
    context, we can not deprecate it.

    Best regards,
    Norbert
    Java Internationalization
    java.sun.com/j2se/corejava/intl

    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!"
    >
    > 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.
    >
    > 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.
    >
    > 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.
    >
    > 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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