[Shapelib] Re: shapelib improvements

[ANDY CANFIELD]

> Date: Sat, 29 Dec 2007 19:59:52 +0100
> From: bram.degreve at bramz.net
> To: shapelib at lists.maptools.org
> Subject: Re: [Shapelib] Re: shapelib improvements
> 
> Mateusz Loskot wrote:
> > As you say, UTF-16 is used *internally*. Actually, Java supports Unicode
> > in a *mess*, exposing Unicode in 3 or 4 different ways, including their
> > own modified version of UTF-8 encoding (brrr!).
> > So, actually, different components of Java use different standard,
> > for exmaple Data{Input|Output}Stream uses modified UTF-8,
> > OutputStreamWriter and InputStreamReader can use *any* encoding,
> > String can use *any* encoding, etc.
> >
> > For me, Java and Windows arguments are irrelevant here because Shapelib
> > does not use system specific API of any of the systems listed above.
> > Shapelib is just a data storage/transfer layer and as such, the only
> > portable and IMHO reasonable choice is UTF-8.
> > UTF-16 and UTF-32 make more troubles than it's worth.
> > UTF-8 is more natural choice because:
> > - UTF-8 works well with legacy platforms and clients that only
> >   support 8-bit characters
> > - UTF-8 is compatible with ASCII
> > - UTF-8 is more compact
> > - UTF-8 is byte oriented instead of word oriented
> > - UTF-8 is C strings friendly
> > - UTF-8 is more efficient (it depends on range of content)
> > - UTF-8 is compatible with all Unix systems as well as recommended in
> > standards and protocols like W3C, IETF, IMC, etc.
> >
> > All these suggest me that UTF-8 support easier to implement for highly
> > portable data storage software like Shapelib is.
> >
> >   
> I'm working on an UTF-8 version of the IO hooks for shapelib for my work
> on pyshapelib, though it is getting some delay as there are other issues
> that need my limited spare time.
> 
> Cheers,
> Bramz

OK you guys have convinced me :) UTF-8 is the most portable and easiest to implement so we should go with that.
-Andy

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