Subject: Re: Wide character implementation From: Erik Naggum <erik@naggum.net> Date: Tue, 19 Mar 2002 23:22:39 GMT Newsgroups: comp.lang.lisp,comp.lang.scheme Message-ID: <3225568971513146@naggum.net> * Sander Vesik <sander@haldjas.folklore.ee> | They use either UTF8 or UTF16 - you cannot rely on whetvere size | you pick to be suitably long forever, unicode is sort of inherently | variable-length (characters even have too possible representations | in many cases, ä and similar 8-) Variable-length characters? What the hell are you talking about? UTF-8 is a variable-length _encoding_ of characters that most certainly are intended to require a fixed number of bits. That is, unless you think the digit 3 take up only 6 bits while the letter A takes up 7 bits and the symbol ± takes up 8. Then you have variable-length characters. Few people consider this a meaningful way of talking about variable length. | Implement them as variable-length strings using say UTF-8. Also, saying | that most characters will not be wide may well be a wrong assumptin 8-) Real programming languages work with real character objects, not just UTF-8-encoded strings in memory. Acquire clue, _then_ post, OK? /// -- In a fight against something, the fight has value, victory has none. In a fight for something, the fight is a loss, victory merely relief.