Re: RFE: Please allow unicode ID chars in identifiers

[L A Walsh]

dualbus wrote:
> - People then have to test the new implementation, to ensure that there
>   are no regressions, and no new bugs introduced. I'm happy to volunteer
>   once there's a working implementation.
>
> - There are some questions that must be answered first:
>
>   * How do you how to decode multibyte character sequences into Unicode? 
>     Should UTF-8 be assumed?
>   
You realize bash already allows UTF-8 input?


>   * Will the parsing of a script depend upon the user locale?
>
>   * Should this special parsing code be disabled if POSIX mode is
>     enabled?
>   
----
   I think I answered that.


>   * Right now `name' or `identifier' is defined as:
>
>       name: A word consisting only of alphanumeric characters and
>       underscores, and beginning with an alphabetic character or an
>       underscore. Also referred to as an identifier.
>
>     How will the definition look like with Unicode identifiers?
>   
----
   The characters I mention are alphanumeric.  Just not limited to
the US.

>   
> > Variable names like:
> >
> > Lēv -- (3 letter word pronounced like Leave), (most recent try...)
> >     
>
> Use `Lev'.
>   
Sorry, if you are going to change the question, then there is no use 
answering.
Lev is pronounced as in "lev"itation. There is a difference.
>   
> > string constants:
> > $Φ="0.618033988749894848"
> > $ɸ="1.61803398874989485"
> > $π="3.14159265358979324"
> > $␉=$'\x09'
> > $Ⅼ=50   $Ⅽ=100   $Ⅾ=500   $Ⅿ=1000
> > $Ⅰ=1    $Ⅴ=5      $Ⅹ=10
> > $㎏="kilogram"
> > $㎆=1024*$㎅,
> > etc...
> >     
>
> I'm going to assume the leading `$' in the variable assignment is a
> typo.
>   
Sure.
> What prevents you from using?
>   
> phi='...'
>   
---
Again, you are changing the requirement.  Besides...
all of those are "alphanumeric"... just not US alphabet
(try greek).
> ht='...'
>   
> kg='...'
>   
Those aren't 1 character or symbol.

> I'm still not convinced there's an actual need here.
>   
What actual need is there for bash?  Or computers or ASCII.
Why are we not still using binary bits?

I don't suppose we wanted something more expressive or symbolic?

Couldn't we have gotten by with the original Bourne shell?  Why develop
bash?  What was the actual need?

You can't convince me there was a need for that and not for this just
because it is what _you_ use or don't use.

How do you emphasize a var, say in italic or bold?
𝐿𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑇𝘩𝘪𝘴?
or 𝒯𝒽𝒾𝓈?
or 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀?

They'd all scan differently.

Anyway, bash already has some unicode parsing in it because
it accepts UTF-8.  So it wouldn't have to be the complete
rewrite you make it.