[ruby-core:44529] [ruby-trunk - Bug #6324] Spurious/incorrect warning on File.open with internal_encoding specified in string mode to duplicate external_encoding

Issue #6324 has been updated by duerst (Martin D端rst).

Assignee changed from duerst (Martin D端rst) to naruse (Yui NARUSE)

In my view, we could/should get rid of this warning. See details below.

jrochkind (jonathan rochkind) wrote:
> Normally, if you open a File specifying an internal_encoding equivalent to an external_encoding, using the string method, it gives you a warning. _Normally_ this warning is possibly appropriate and accurate:
> 
> 
> 
>    irb(main):018:0* f = File.open("test", "r:cp866:cp866")
>    (irb):18: warning: Ignoring internal encoding cp866: it is identical to external encoding cp866

This is actually misleading. The actual internal encoding (the encoding of the Strings read in) is still cp866, so the information isn't ignored. It's just that the "internal_encoding" slot of the file isn't set because it can be deduced from context.

Also, there's really not much harm if a programmer writes File.open("test", "r:cp866:cp866") instead of just File.open("test", "r:cp866"). The warning may help a programmer who wrongly assumes that there's always a need for giving both encodings, but I think documentation should be enough for this.


> However, there is a case where it is NOT. If you have set your Encoding.default_internal
> 
>    irb(main):019:0> Encoding.default_internal = "UTF-8"
>    irb(main):020:0> f = File.open("test", "r:cp866:cp866")
>    (irb):20: warning: Ignoring internal encoding cp866: it is identical to external encoding cp866
> 
> In this case, it is neccesary to set the internal_encoding to override the non-nil Encoding.default_internal
> 
> The functionality in fact _works_ here, we HAVE succesfully over-ridden the default_internal:
> 
>    irb(main):022:0> p f.internal_encoding
>    => nil
>    irb(main):023:0> f.read.encoding
>    => #<Encoding:IBM866>
> 
> So the warning is in fact _wrong_, the :internal_encoding was NOT ignored, it was used as desired. The warning is also unneccesary, what was being done here makes perfect sense, there's no need for a warning. 

There's an additional case where the warning might not make sense. Assume I open files with variable external encodings that I all want to have the same internal encoding:

# somehow calculate ext_enc
File.open("test", "r:#{ext_enc}:cp866")

Now such a program will work quite well, without warnings. But occasionally, it will produce a warning, namely when it hits a case with ext_enc == "cp866". One could of course rewrite this as
File.open("test", ext_enc == "cp866" ? "r:cp866": "r:#{ext_enc}:cp866")
but this really seems way too complicated. It would be better to get rid of the warning.

> Note that the named argument approach works differnetly, no warning is output (whether or not you've set Encoding.default_internal). 
> 
> 
>     irb(main):024:0> f = File.open("foo", :external_encoding => "cp866", :internal_encoding => "cp866")
>     => #<File:foo>  # NO WARNING OUTPUT
>     irb(main):025:0> f.internal_encoding
>     => nil # CORRECT
>     irb(main):026:0> f.read.encoding
>     => #<Encoding:IBM866> # CORRECT
> 
> Both the named argument and the permission-string method seem to work properly and equivalently. But only the permission-string argument method gives you an incorrect warning.

Another good reason to get rid of the warning.

So I hope my opinion is clear. But it wasn't my idea in the first place, so maybe I'm missing something. I'm switching assignee over to Yui.
----------------------------------------
Bug #6324: Spurious/incorrect warning on File.open with internal_encoding specified in string mode to duplicate external_encoding
https://bugs.ruby-lang.org/issues/6324#change-26082

Author: jrochkind (jonathan rochkind)
Status: Assigned
Priority: Normal
Assignee: naruse (Yui NARUSE)
Category: 
Target version: 
ruby -v: ruby 1.9.3p125 (2012-02-16 revision 34643) [x86_64-linux]


Normally, if you open a File specifying an internal_encoding equivalent to an external_encoding, using the string method, it gives you a warning. _Normally_ this warning is possibly appropriate and accurate:



   irb(main):018:0* f = File.open("test", "r:cp866:cp866")
   (irb):18: warning: Ignoring internal encoding cp866: it is identical to external encoding cp866

However, there is a case where it is NOT. If you have set your Encoding.default_internal

   irb(main):019:0> Encoding.default_internal = "UTF-8"
   irb(main):020:0> f = File.open("test", "r:cp866:cp866")
   (irb):20: warning: Ignoring internal encoding cp866: it is identical to external encoding cp866

In this case, it is neccesary to set the internal_encoding to override the non-nil Encoding.default_internal

The functionality in fact _works_ here, we HAVE succesfully over-ridden the default_internal:

   irb(main):022:0> p f.internal_encoding
   => nil
   irb(main):023:0> f.read.encoding
   => #<Encoding:IBM866>

So the warning is in fact _wrong_, the :internal_encoding was NOT ignored, it was used as desired. The warning is also unneccesary, what was being done here makes perfect sense, there's no need for a warning. 

Note that the named argument approach works differnetly, no warning is output (whether or not you've set Encoding.default_internal). 


    irb(main):024:0> f = File.open("foo", :external_encoding => "cp866", :internal_encoding => "cp866")
    => #<File:foo>  # NO WARNING OUTPUT
    irb(main):025:0> f.internal_encoding
    => nil # CORRECT
    irb(main):026:0> f.read.encoding
    => #<Encoding:IBM866> # CORRECT

Both the named argument and the permission-string method seem to work properly and equivalently. But only the permission-string argument method gives you an incorrect warning. 




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