= Decoding Japanese Text =

The following code was written in response to a [[http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/msg/cbb6377999249b2c?dmode=source|post on comp.lang.python]] to show how to obtain a unicode representation of text stored in the Shift-JIS encoding. The original text has also been Base64 encoded for delivery in an e-mail message: 

{{{
#!python
import base64, sys
from qt import *

a = \
"""SW4gdGhpcyBzYW1wbGUsIGUtbWFpbCB0aXRsZSBhbmQgdGV4dCBhcmUgd3JpdHRlbiBpbiBKYXBh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"""

if __name__ == "__main__":

    app = QApplication(sys.argv)
    s = base64.decodestring(a)
    qs = QTextCodec.codecForName("Shift-JIS").toUnicode(s)
    l = QLabel(qs, None)
    l.show()
    app.setMainWidget(l)
    sys.exit(app.exec_loop())
}}}

This script decodes the Base64 string, uses the appropriate codec to convert the contents into a unicode representation, and shows the result in a label. 

Note that you will need suitable fonts installed on your system to see the result.