remove deprecated PERL_OBJECT cruft, it has long since stopped

[p5sagit/p5-mst-13.2.git] / pod / perlunicode.pod

diff --git a/pod/perlunicode.pod b/pod/perlunicode.pod
index 914ce04..9609cdc 100644 (file)
--- a/pod/perlunicode.pod
+++ b/pod/perlunicode.pod
@@ -40,16 +40,17 @@ presented with Unicode data, or a traditional byte scheme when
 presented with byte data.  The implementation is still new and
 (particularly on EBCDIC platforms) may need further work.
 
-=item C<use utf8> still needed to enable a few features
+=item C<use utf8> still needed to enable UTF-8/UTF-EBCDIC in scripts
 
 The C<utf8> pragma implements the tables used for Unicode support.
 These tables are automatically loaded on demand, so the C<utf8> pragma
 need not normally be used.
 
 However, as a compatibility measure, this pragma must be explicitly
-used to enable recognition of UTF-8 encoded literals and identifiers
-in the source text on ASCII based machines or recognize UTF-EBCDIC
-encoded literals and identifiers on EBCDIC based machines.
+used to enable recognition of UTF-8 in the Perl scripts themselves on
+ASCII based machines or recognize UTF-EBCDIC on EBCDIC based machines.
+B<NOTE: this should be the only place where an explicit C<use utf8> is
+needed>.
 
 =back
 
@@ -88,10 +89,9 @@ force byte semantics in a particular lexical scope.  See L<bytes>.
 
 The C<utf8> pragma is primarily a compatibility device that enables
 recognition of UTF-(8|EBCDIC) in literals encountered by the parser.
-It may also be used for enabling some of the more experimental Unicode
-support features.  Note that this pragma is only required until a
-future version of Perl in which character semantics will become the
-default.  This pragma may then become a no-op.  See L<utf8>.
+Note that this pragma is only required until a future version of Perl
+in which character semantics will become the default.  This pragma may
+then become a no-op.  See L<utf8>.
 
 Unless mentioned otherwise, Perl operators will use character semantics
 when they are dealing with Unicode data, and byte semantics otherwise.
@@ -102,6 +102,11 @@ literal UTF-8 string constant in the program), character semantics
 apply; otherwise, byte semantics are in effect.  To force byte semantics
 on Unicode data, the C<bytes> pragma should be used.
 
+Notice that if you have a string with byte semantics and you then
+add character data into it, the bytes will be upgraded I<as if they
+were ISO 8859-1 (Latin-1)> (or if in EBCDIC, after a translation
+to ISO 8859-1).
+
 Under character semantics, many operations that formerly operated on
 bytes change to operating on characters.  For ASCII data this makes no
 difference, because UTF-8 stores ASCII in single bytes, but for any