Re: [PATCH] multibyte_identifiers: opt-in UTF-8 variable names (UAX #31 + NFC) behind a root-controlled system switch

In my line of work, I deal extensively with POSIX systems and very old systems; however, many of them are isolated systems with no connection to the outside world. While I’m generally not a fan of Unicode identifiers or filenames, I think that’s something everyone has to decide for themselves. The use case also plays a very important role—it doesn’t make sense for me, but it’s probably a very valuable feature for many other users. Anyone who doesn’t want Unicode identifiers (like me) can simply stick with ASCII and adjust any relevant company policies as needed. Bash should simply remain neutral on the question of allowed identifiers and leave the definition of what constitutes an identifier up to the user. Since Bash is used in so many different ways, it’s important to consider as many use cases as possible. As for the issue of NFC/NFD and homoglyphs, it’s best for the maintainer to decide. Personally, I’m definitely in favor of introducing non-ASCII identifiers—or rather, of Bash offering that option (though you don’t have to use it). 

Best regards,
Jan