Re: RE: filename and normalization (was gcc identifiers)

[Henry Spencer <henry@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Wed, 4 Dec 2002 starner@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
> It appears that due to historical considerations, Unix systems consider
> filenames strings of bytes, but I consider that a malfeature; no system
> desgined today would make the same mistake...

On the contrary, many designers would enthusiastically make that same
"mistake" if designing a new system.  The whole point of making filenames
strings of bytes is that it lets the filesystem be character-set-neutral.
Any other decision sets you up for a lot of backward-compatibility trouble
if your ideas on character-set encoding ever change.

> ...if Unix had
> been designed to be a multilingual system from the start, such a design
> would never had existed.

Unix was designed to be a language-independent system from the start.

                                                          Henry Spencer
                                                       henry@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

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