I've been exploring how Java helps newcomers get started, and while I appreciate the efforts, I've encountered what seems like a small issue. Check out this snippet of a simple Java program:
void main() {
IO.println("Hello, World! u2665"); // I expected to see a heart symbol, but on Windows, it doesn't show up.
}
Newcomers might not use Unicode escape sequences like u2665 but could easily copy and paste an emoji. This could lead to unexpected results. I suspect the problem is the default character set for Windows consoles, which still seems to use IBM437 instead of Unicode (though it can be changed with `chcp 65001`). This is likely confusing for someone just starting with Java. Is there anything the Java community can do to address this?
7 Answers
Honestly, I don't think this is something Java should fix. The Windows terminal situation is messy as it is. If Java tries to address this, it might end up causing more problems than it solves. Windows has a long history with its command line that complicates things.
You really want to show emojis in a Windows terminal? Not saying it shouldn't work, but Windows has quite a history of issues when it comes to character encoding. It’s like a tangled mess that’s been building up for decades.
Apparently, a Powershell script can do the same, but the default settings are what cause issues for terminal apps on Windows. If Windows fixes this, it might solve the problem across all applications, not just Java.
In general, messing with the terminal just because newcomers might not understand the encoding isn't a good idea. I think Java's philosophy is to improve the initial experience without jeopardizing advanced users. Also, automatically changing character sets could lead to problems. The better solution might be teaching newcomers to avoid the command line until they really need it, or even offering a basic GUI that comes with Java. That'd make things much easier for beginners.
I recently asked a similar question on StackOverflow, and found some useful insights. If you're interested, check it out here: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/79685180/emojis-wont-show-up-properly-in-build-logs-for-maven-project-name-on-git-bash
I thought Windows Terminal uses UTF-8 by default! So, with the latest updates in Windows 11, shouldn’t this issue be resolved?
With Java 18, UTF-8 became the go-to encoding almost everywhere, except for console input/output. The reason? The terminal settings depend on the OS and can’t easily be overridden without breaking a lot of existing applications. It's a tough situation—getting Windows to adopt UTF-8 across the board would be ideal, but that's still a long way off.
JEP 400 is problematic since it doesn't truly enable a smooth transition to UTF-8. Most examples around these functions are flawed due to not specifying the code page. This can seriously impact cross-system portability, especially if you're working with various encodings like EBCDIC.