Open Stack

----- Original Message -----
> From: "Pádraig Brady" <P at draigBrady.com>
> To: "OpenStack Development Mailing List (not for usage questions)" <openstack-dev at lists.openstack.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2014 6:28:28 AM
> Subject: Re: [openstack-dev] Specifying file encoding
> 
> On 05/28/2014 08:16 AM, Martin Geisler wrote:
> > Hi everybody,
> > 
> > I'm trying to get my feet wet with OpenStack development, 

Welcome aboard!  Thanks for contributing.  :)

>> so I recently
> > tried to submit some small patches. One small thing I noticed was that
> > some files used
> > 
> >   # -*- encoding: utf-8 -*-
> > 
> > to specify the file encoding for both Python and Emacs. Unfortunately,
> > Emacs expects you to set "coding", not "encoding". Python is fine with
> > either. I submitted a set of patches for this:
> > 
> > * https://review.openstack.org/95862
> > * https://review.openstack.org/95864
> > * https://review.openstack.org/95865
> > * https://review.openstack.org/95869
> > * https://review.openstack.org/95871
> > * https://review.openstack.org/95880
> > * https://review.openstack.org/95882
> > * https://review.openstack.org/95886
> > 
> > It was pointed out to me that such a change ought to be coordinated
> > better via bug(s) or the mailinglist, so here I am :)
> 
> This is valid change.
> I don't see why there is any question
> as it only improves the situation for emacs
> which will pop up an error when trying to edit these files.

I guess I approach this differently.  When I saw this patch, my first thought was to validate
if the line being changed needed to exist at all.

If the file has valid non-ascii characters that effect its execution, are absolutely required
for documentation to convey a specific meaning, or in strings that need to translate, then I agree
the change is valid.  But in the case the characters in the file can be changed, it seems like the
bug is the extra encoding comment itself.

Taking tuskar for example, the files in question seem to only need this encoding line to support
the copyright symbol.  

[rb at localhost tuskar]$ grep -R -i -P "[^\x00-\x7F]" ./*
Binary file ./doc/source/api/img/model_v2.jpg matches
Binary file ./doc/source/api/img/model_v4.odg matches
Binary file ./doc/source/api/img/model.odg matches
Binary file ./doc/source/api/img/model_v3.jpg matches
Binary file ./doc/source/api/img/model_v3.odg matches
Binary file ./doc/source/api/img/model_v2.odg matches
Binary file ./doc/source/api/img/model_v4.jpg matches
Binary file ./doc/source/api/img/model_v1.jpg matches
Binary file ./doc/source/_static/header_bg.jpg matches
Binary file ./doc/source/_static/header-line.gif matches
Binary file ./doc/source/_static/openstack_logo.png matches
./tuskar/api/hooks.py:# Copyright © 2012 New Dream Network, LLC (DreamHost)
./tuskar/api/app.py:# Copyright © 2012 New Dream Network, LLC (DreamHost)
./tuskar/api/acl.py:# Copyright © 2012 New Dream Network, LLC (DreamHost)
./tuskar/common/service.py:# Copyright © 2012 eNovance <licensing at enovance.com>
./tuskar/tests/api/api.py:# Copyright © 2012 New Dream Network, LLC (DreamHost)


In the U.S., copyright notices haven't really been needed since 1989.  You also only need to include
one instance of the symbol, "Copyright" or "copr" [1].  If the requirements for copyright are different
outside the U.S., then I hope we capture that in the copyright wiki page [2].  Maybe the current info
in that wiki needs to be updated or at least notated as to why the specific notice text is suggested. 

Unless there is another valid requirement to keep the © in the files, I think it's best if we just
remove them altogether and eliminate the need to add the encoding comments at all.


- Ryan

> 
> You could create a bug I suppose
> to reference all the changes though I don't
> think that's mandatory since this isn't user facing.
> 
> cheers,
> Pádraig.
> 
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[1] http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ03.pdf
[2] https://wiki.openstack.org/wiki/Documentation/Copyright