# 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:** 80

<div class="post-metadata">

**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 12, 2024, 2:49pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/syntax-escape-hatch-for-unicode-haters/108363/80 "2024-01-12T14:49:31Z")

</div>

> [@foobar\_lv2](#):
>
> > [@sijo](#):
> >
> > OK good example: how is this particular piece of Unicode a problem in practice? What’s the concrete scenario here?
> 
> So to qualify: This particular piece of unicode is not a big problem. But it rather demonstrates that many julia developers and projects tend to gratuitously use unicode operators outside of scientific contexts.

Why is it a problem if someone else’s code use `≤`? Suppose you come across another package that uses `≤`. Or someone who uses `≤` in example code for a post on discourse. How does that pose a practical difficulty for you?

The only problem that arises in my mind is if a newcomer doesn’t know that they can also type `<=`, i.e. if they see that example and think that they _must_ type `≤`. That could indeed be off-putting to some people! But it’s also a confusion that can be cleared up in a few seconds. (It’s not like `≤` is a symbol whose meaning is unfamiliar!)

---

_[View the full topic](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/syntax-escape-hatch-for-unicode-haters/108363)._