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Message-ID: <200707101906.30925.larry@garfieldtech.com>
Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] What is the use of "unicode.semantics" in PHP 6?
From: larry@garfieldtech.com (Larry Garfield)

On Monday 09 July 2007, Stanislav Malyshev wrote:
> > Do _I_ like that horrible IS_STRING/IS_UNICODE mess we have atm? No.
>
> I don't think there's any way of having both unstructured character data
> and Unicode text represented without having two distinct types. Either
> that or you'd have to tell on each step which one it is, and that would
> suck much more.
>
> > I would love to have clean and easy PHP6 without all the
> > "compatibility", which creates gazillion problems to both users and
> > developers.
>
> Fixing unicode=3Don does not remove the IS_STRING/IS_UNICODE duality. We
> still have two kinds of data - unstructured bit stream and structured
> text. If we want strlen("=D0=BF=D1=80=D0=B5=D0=B2=D0=B5=D0=B4") to return=
 6 - since that Russian word
> has 6 characters - then we have no way but recognize that it's not just
> a collection of bits but Unicode text, and that would require separate
> type, as I see it. And as I see it, this is the source of the problems
> when people try to operate on text as on bit stream and vice versa.
>
> Unless I totally missed what mess you are referring to...

I am coming into this discussion decidedly late here, so please thwap me=20
gently if this is a FAQ.  Do we have any idea of what percentage of strings=
=20
in the "wild" would break if treated as Unicode vs. not? =20

If 90% of the strings in use would work fine if treated as unicode, then it=
=20
would make sense to just always assume Unicode unless explicitly specified=
=20
otherwise.

If 90% of the strings in use would die if treated as Unicode, then Unicode=
=20
should probably be the exception and only when explicitly defined.

I'm not liking the ghosts of magic_quotes I'm seeing implied here with=20
different modes for the server to be in.  That sounds like it would make=20
writing code that works the same everywhere and is not ugly to read (craplo=
ad=20
of markers or lots of conditionals) quite difficult.

As I said, feel free to assuage my fear if appropriate. :-)

=2D-=20
Larry Garfield			AIM: LOLG42
larry@garfieldtech.com		ICQ: 6817012

"If nature has made any one thing less susceptible than all others of=20
exclusive property, it is the action of the thinking power called an idea,=
=20
which an individual may exclusively possess as long as he keeps it to=20
himself; but the moment it is divulged, it forces itself into the possessio=
n=20
of every one, and the receiver cannot dispossess himself of it."  -- Thomas=
=20
Jefferson