From: "Rich" 

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   Two different issues.  IE has to apply heuristics to file types =
because the servers that return this content often return bogus, both =
incorrect or invalid, types.  It's not easy to fix.  IE had to do this =
because netscape didn't enforce types and to be compatible IE couldn't =
either.  Because the types aren't enforced lots of servers still do this =
wrong.  Because they do types can't be enforced.

   Text and Unicode is first a false distinction.  It's all text.  In =
the case of Notepad, you mean UTF-16 text vs. UTF-8 text vs. ANSI text = as
this is the distinction that Notepad makes on load.  Even that misses = the
complexity as what people call ANSI is actually any of 14 distinct = and
incompatible ANSI encodings and is often one of many OEM encodings = which
may be distinct from any of the ANSI ones.  It is complicated = because for
many of the ANSI encodings including the one used in the = U.S. and Western
Europe, anything could be valid.  Because of this it is = not always
possible to make a distinction between UTF-16 and ANSI as a = file could
validly be either.  UTF-8 is restrictive so it is easy to = tell if
something is valid UTF-8.  That could still be a problem as = valid UTF-8
could be valid ANSI too.  Instead some heuristics are = applied.  For
example if you see 0D 00 0A 00 then the file is probably = UTF-16 while if
you see 0D 0A it may be ANSI though U+0A0D might be a = valid Unicode
character.  I didn't look.

Rich

  "Geo"  wrote in message
news:449444fd$2{at}w3.nls.net...
  That's not what I meant when I said computers today guess. I meant how
  computers today guess at the answer when the problem doesn't have a =
unique
  solution. Example would be how IE guesses file types or how notepad =
guesses
  between text and unicode.

  Geo.

  "Antti Kurenniemi"  wrote in message
  news:449392b8$1{at}w3.nls.net...
  > It was equally bad having people guess things. "I'll switch this dip =
here
  > and that there, and then those jumpers that I just dropped and have =
no
  clue
  > about where they should go... I'll just make a neat row of them =
here,
  > that'll do it". I remember a lot of hardware having huge manuals for =
just
  > configuring the stupid dip switches and whatnots, and that it was =
possible
  > to fry things by misconfiguring them. No thanks to that - nowadays, =
at
  least
  > you don't have to get your hands dirty to break your computer 
  >
  >
  > Antti Kurenniemi
  >
  > "Geo"  wrote in message =
news:44938e6a$2{at}w3.nls.net...
  > I kind of prefer the days when computers didn't "guess" at things. =
We used
  > to have a saying "computers don't make mistakes" but all that =
changed
  now..
  >
  > Geo.
  >   "Rich"  wrote in message news:4493558b$1{at}w3.nls.net...
  >      You don't expect a mainframe to automatically detect any off =
the
  shelf
  > adapter that is plugged in.  The PC could go back to the dark ages =
too as
  > this is how things used to be when the PC first came to be.
  >
  >   Rich
  >
  >
  >


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   Two different =
issues.  IE has to=20
apply heuristics to file types because the servers that return this = content=20
often return bogus, both incorrect or invalid, types.  It's not = easy to=20
fix.  IE had to do this because netscape didn't enforce types and = to be=20
compatible IE couldn't either.  Because the types aren't enforced
= lots of=20
servers still do this wrong.  Because they do types can't be=20
enforced.
 
   Text and
Unicode is first =
a false=20
distinction.  It's all text.  In the case of Notepad, you
mean = UTF-16=20
text vs. UTF-8 text vs. ANSI text as this is the distinction that
= Notepad=20
makes on load.  Even that misses the complexity as what people
call = ANSI is=20
actually any of 14 distinct and incompatible ANSI encodings and is often = one of=20
many OEM encodings which may be distinct from any of the ANSI =
ones.  It is=20
complicated because for many of the ANSI encodings including the one = used in the=20
U.S. and Western Europe, anything could be valid.  Because of this
= it is=20
not always possible to make a distinction between UTF-16 and ANSI as a = file=20
could validly be either.  UTF-8 is restrictive so it is easy to = tell if=20
something is valid UTF-8.  That could still be a problem as valid = UTF-8=20
could be valid ANSI too.  Instead some heuristics are =
applied.  For=20
example if you see 0D 00 0A 00 then the file is probably UTF-16 while if = you see=20
0D 0A it may be ANSI though U+0A0D might be a valid Unicode =
character.  I=20
didn't look.
 
Rich
 

  "Geo" <georger{at}nls.net>">mailto:georger{at}nls.net">georger{at}nls.net>
wrote=20
  in message news:449444fd$2{at}w3.nls.net...That's=20
  not what I meant when I said computers today guess. I meant =
howcomputers=20
  today guess at the answer when the problem doesn't have a =
uniquesolution.=20
  Example would be how IE guesses file types or how notepad =
guessesbetween=20
  text and unicode.Geo."Antti
Kurenniemi" <NOantti{at}SPAManttikPLEASE.com=">mailto:NOantti{at}SPAManttikPLEASE.com">NOantti{at}SPAManttikPLEASE.com=
>=20
  wrote in messagenews:449392b8$1{at}w3.nls.net...=
> It=20
  was equally bad having people guess things. "I'll switch this dip =
here>=20
  and that there, and then those jumpers that I just dropped and have=20
  noclue> about where they should go... I'll
just make a neat =
row of=20
  them here,> that'll do it". I remember a lot of
hardware having =
huge=20
  manuals for just> configuring the stupid dip switches and =
whatnots, and=20
  that it was possible> to fry things by misconfiguring them. No =
thanks=20
  to that - nowadays, atleast> you don't have to
get your =
hands dirty=20
  to break your computer
<g>>>>
Antti=20
  Kurenniemi>> "Geo" <georger{at}nls.net>">mailto:georger{at}nls.net">georger{at}nls.net>
wrote in =
message news:44938e6a$2{at}w3.nls.net...=
> I=20
  kind of prefer the days when computers didn't "guess" at things. We=20
  used> to have a saying "computers don't make
mistakes" but all =
that=20
  changednow..>>
Geo.>   "Rich" =
<{at}>=20
  wrote in message news:4493558b$1{at}w3.nls.net...=
>     =20
  You don't expect a mainframe to automatically detect any off=20
  theshelf> adapter that is plugged
in.  The PC could go =
back to=20
  the dark ages too as> this is how things used to be when the PC =
first=20
  came to be.>>  =20
Rich>>>

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