How does IDLE do it?

[Richard D. Moores]

I recently wrote some code that prints information about the 'jukugo'
used in Japanese newspaper articles. A jukugo is a Japanese word
written with at least 2 kanji. An example of a 2-kanji jukugo is å±æ©Ÿ
(kiki -- crisis). I found that I could not use my usual IDE to render
the Japanese correctly in either the code or the output. But IDLE
(version 3.1.2; Windows Vista) does a beautiful job! See screen shots
<http://www.rcblue.com/Misc/Japanese_in_code_with_Courier_New_in_IDLE.jpg>
and
<http://www.rcblue.com/Misc/Japanese_output_with_Courier_New_in_IDLE.jpg>.
(The whole script plus output is at
<http://tutoree7.pastebin.com/xLsRfTSQ>.)

I'd like to know how the IDLE developers did this. How can IDLE not
have a problem with Japanese using Courier New, Calibri, even Fences
or Windings! (For Wingdings, see
<http://www.rcblue.com/Misc/Japanese_and_Wingdings.jpg>.)

Thanks,

Dick Moores

 

[Eric Brunel]

I recently wrote some code that prints information about the 'jukugo'
used in Japanese newspaper articles. A jukugo is a Japanese word
written with at least 2 kanji. An example of a 2-kanji jukugo is å±æ©Ÿ
(kiki -- crisis). I found that I could not use my usual IDE to render
the Japanese correctly in either the code or the output. But IDLE
(version 3.1.2; Windows Vista) does a beautiful job! See screen shots
<http://www.rcblue.com/Misc/Japanese_in_code_with_Courier_New_in_IDLE.jpg>
and
<http://www.rcblue.com/Misc/Japanese_output_with_Courier_New_in_IDLE.jpg>.
(The whole script plus output is at
<http://tutoree7.pastebin.com/xLsRfTSQ>.)

I'd like to know how the IDLE developers did this. How can IDLE not
have a problem with Japanese using Courier New, Calibri, even Fences
or Windings! (For Wingdings, see
<http://www.rcblue.com/Misc/Japanese_and_Wingdings.jpg>.)

IDLE doesn't do anything, tk does. When a character is not available in a given font,
tk looks up for one containing it by itself and uses it automatically.