Re: Unicode/Mule (Re: null-device)

[Miles Bader]

Karl Eichwalder <address@hidden> writes:
> And then this rule "é" != "é" (in case you're using different charsets).
> Why doesn't this rule apply for "a", too?  I believe I know the reason:
> Emacs/Mule forces "western" users to accept special far east
> assumptions.

Please do not propagate Erik Naggum's bigotry (and I do not use such a
strong word lightly -- it's quite clear from his writings that he is a
bigot).

You can argue that linking characters to particular character sets is a
bad technical decision, but to call it a `special far east assumption'
is just dumb.

I think you and I have a different idea of what `mule' is -- I consider
it the sum of all the various pieces of emacs that support multi-lingual
editing, of which the current internal representation is but a small
part.  When emacs' internal representation is changed, a great deal of
this can remain exactly the same, especially as far as the
user-interface is concerned.

That's why your statement that `mule has to go away first' seems
nonsensical to me.  Of course, _part_ of mule must go -- the part that's
being replaced, and any other parts that are too closely dependent on
that representation -- but to say _all_ of mule must go is ignorant of
what mule is.  [of course, it's possible that the majority of people use
the word `mule' in a much more narrow sense, to refer specifically to
the current internal encoding, in which case I'll happily admit to being
wrong!]

-Miles
-- 
Love is a snowmobile racing across the tundra.  Suddenly it flips over,
pinning you underneath.  At night the ice weasels come.  --Nietzsche