gistfile1.txt

#!/usr/bin/env python3
import sys

# I've been asked "Why use iso8859-1 encoding" in terminal applications,

for n in range(256):
    # all possible 8-bit keyboard input as bytes
    byte = bytes([n])

    # assert 8-bit keyboard input value is unmodified by iso8859-1
    assert chr(n).encode('iso8859-1') == byte

    # utf-8 encoding, though, could confuse the utf-8 decoder for 8-bit input,
    try:
        byte.decode('utf-8')
    except UnicodeDecodeError as err:
        assert 0x80 <= n <= 0xff, err

    # properly, one would simply decode these bits using the preferred session
    # encoding. However, for non-utf8 input, 8-bits can still be sent
    # when the meta key is depressed, by flipping the 8th bit. If you were to provide
    # for example, an emacs interface for binding keys, you would want to know
    # only the byte value, and not the codepoint value translated by codepage.
    if n > 127:
        # non-ascii input: when 'meta is high-bit' is toggled by a client
        # application (as opposed to 'meta sends escape'), then these
        # characters represent meta
        key = chr(n & 0x7f)
        if n % 8 == 0:
            sys.stdout.write('\n{:3d}: '.format(n))
        sys.stdout.write('M-{!r:6} '.format(key))
sys.stdout.write('\n')


# For more information, http://www.leonerd.org.uk/hacks/hints/xterm-8bit.html is nice