Re: Strange UTF-8 in Java

From: John Cowan (cowan@locke.ccil.org)
Date: Wed Sep 30 1998 - 14:52:01 EDT


Rick McGowan scripsit:

> I'd ask, why are these methods, which apparently produce or consume
> non-conforming UTF-8, part of some publicly accessible API?

Because they are public methods for serializing Java String
objects to and from byte streams. They produce a documented
format, 4-byte big-endian length followed by modified UTF-8 content.
The format is documented so that non-Java programs can consume or
produce such byte streams. The names of the methods are
regrettable, indeed erroneous.

> Oh, well.
> It's a blunder I guess, and I don't really care very much -- except that now
> people are asking about it, and it causes confusion and wastes peoples' time
> talking about it and answering questions about it.

Indeed.

-- 
John Cowan	http://www.ccil.org/~cowan		cowan@ccil.org
	You tollerday donsk?  N.  You tolkatiff scowegian?  Nn.
	You spigotty anglease?  Nnn.  You phonio saxo?  Nnnn.
		Clear all so!  'Tis a Jute.... (Finnegans Wake 16.5)



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