Re: Localization in OOC

[Michael van Acken <mvacken@t-online.de>]

> From: "Eric W. Nikitin" <enikitin@apk.net>
> Date: Wed, 25 Nov 1998 14:27:02 -0500 (EST)
> 
> I am starting to work on the Localization chapter for the OOC
> Reference Manual, and it's bringing up several issues that could
> benefit from discussion on this list.
> 
> First of all, currently, the OOC Library provides support for
> locales through the modules [...]
> Although these C-like facilities are minimally sufficient, my
> question is, can we do better?  Both Java and C++ provide locale
> classes, and other related classes, that allow multiple locales to
> be defined within a program, rather than relying on a global
> property.

I will gladly accept a better implementation of locale handling into
OOC.  I like a more structured class based approach.  Support for
multiple concurrent locales makes some sense if computers in other
countries and time zones are right next door in the Internet.  Also,
most of Europe must deal with two local currencies simultaneously for
the next few years.  This is also an argument for a more flexible
locale approach.

> This also brings up the problem of multi-byte character support,
> including Unicode.  Some time ago, there was a little discussion on
> adding the type `LONGCHAR' to OOC, is this still under
> consideration?  If it is added, then localization should be built
> into LONGCHAR related modules.

On the compiler level it is not much of a problem to introduce an
Unicode character type, but until I can write an Unicode string to the
screen I see little reason to actually add it.

-- mva