# Syntax: Escape hatch for unicode haters

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/syntax-escape-hatch-for-unicode-haters/108363>\
**Category:** Internals & Design\
**Tags:** syntax, unicode\
**Created:** [January 4, 2024, 11:55pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/syntax-escape-hatch-for-unicode-haters/108363 "2024-01-04T23:55:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 114

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**Author:** ![stevengj](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/stevengj/32/71_2.png) [@stevengj](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/stevengj)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2024, 1:00pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/syntax-escape-hatch-for-unicode-haters/108363/114 "2024-01-14T13:00:13Z")

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This thread was originally about alternative input/parser methods for Unicode characters, and has now become a general debate over the utility of non-ASCII symbols in code. I think @mbauman’s comment from [Warning against Unicode confusables - #29](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/warning-against-unicode-confusables/108734/29) applies here:

> [@Warning against Unicode confusables](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/warning-against-unicode-confusables/108734/29):
>
> This seems likely to go in circles forever to no productive end. Unicode exists. It’s not going anywhere. Style guides can and do address the matter. You can choose to endorse or enforce a particular style guide for code you control. And you can kindly suggest others follow some style guides, but with the understanding that it’s an opinion-based choice. You can start #Tooling topics about better linting/editing/refactoring tools.
> 
> Arguing on the internet isn’t going to change opinions on the matter… and there are plenty of other places to argue ad nauseam. Let’s set a timer to prevent this from going on indefinitely and potentially escalating unnecessarily here.

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