Re: [9fans] awk, not utf aware...

[erik quanstrom <quanstro@quanstro.net>]

> I thought it was obvious that the output was from a 'standard' Plan 9
> terminal. But given the percentage of people actually using plan9 in
> this list, I guess I should have been much more explicit.
>
> And the problem is precisely that the environment under which awk run
> commands is completely different from the one awk is run in; in other
> words, awk spreads its 'simian' (ape-ish) nature.

i think that awk is in a no-win situation here.  if it used rc, then
awk scripts from plan 9 would break on unix and vice versa.  sam and
acme have similar issues in p9p's environment.  i don't see how either
using the native shell or using the shell from the original
environment is wrong a priori.  awk picks a lane and sticks too it.
i'd bet that benefits other ape stuff like lp.

if you really don't like this situation, perhaps the solution is to
improve upon awk.  a plan 9 scripting language based on sre's --- as
suggested by rob --- could be really cool.

- erik