example.py

#!/usr/bin/python
# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-

from flask import request, url_for
from flask.ext.api import FlaskAPI, status, exceptions

app = FlaskAPI(__name__)


notes = {
    0: '购物',
    1: 'build the codez',
    2: 'paint the door',
}

def note_repr(key):
    return {
        'url': request.host_url.rstrip('/') + url_for('notes_detail', key=key),
        'text': notes[key]
    }


@app.route("/", methods=['GET', 'POST'])
def notes_list():
    """
    List or create notes.
    """
    if request.method == 'POST':
        note = str(request.data.get('text', ''))
        idx = max(notes.keys()) + 1
        notes[idx] = note
        return note_repr(idx), status.HTTP_201_CREATED

    # request.method == 'GET'
    return [note_repr(idx) for idx in sorted(notes.keys())]


@app.route("/<int:key>/", methods=['GET', 'PUT', 'DELETE'])
def notes_detail(key):
    """
    Retrieve, update or delete note instances.
    """
    if request.method == 'PUT':
        note = str(request.data.get('text', ''))
        notes[key] = note
        return note_repr(key)

    elif request.method == 'DELETE':
        notes.pop(key, None)
        return '', status.HTTP_204_NO_CONTENT

    # request.method == 'GET'
    if key not in notes:
        raise exceptions.NotFound()
    return note_repr(key)


if __name__ == "__main__":
    app.run(debug=True)

example_v2.py

#!/usr/bin/python
# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-

from __future__ import unicode_literals
from flask import request, url_for
from flask.ext.api import FlaskAPI, status, exceptions

app = FlaskAPI(__name__)


notes = {
    0: 'do the shopping购物',
    1: 'build the codez',
    2: 'paint the door',
}


def note_repr(key):
    return {
        'url': request.host_url.rstrip('/') + url_for('notes_detail', key=key),
        'text': notes[key]
    }


@app.route("/", methods=['GET', 'POST'])
def notes_list():
    """
    List or create notes.
    """
    if request.method == 'POST':
        note = str(request.data.get('text', ''))
        idx = max(notes.keys()) + 1
        notes[idx] = note
        return note_repr(idx), status.HTTP_201_CREATED

    # request.method == 'GET'
    return [note_repr(idx) for idx in sorted(notes.keys())]


@app.route("/<int:key>/", methods=['GET', 'PUT', 'DELETE'])
def notes_detail(key):
    """
    Retrieve, update or delete note instances.
    """
    if request.method == 'PUT':
        note = str(request.data.get('text', ''))
        notes[key] = note
        return note_repr(key)

    elif request.method == 'DELETE':
        notes.pop(key, None)
        return '', status.HTTP_204_NO_CONTENT

    # request.method == 'GET'
    if key not in notes:
        raise exceptions.NotFound()
    return note_repr(key)


if __name__ == "__main__":
    app.run(debug=True)

• simplest version

name = 'hello world from example'
print type(name)  # <type 'str'>
print name        # hello world from example

• add some non-english chars, a SyntaxError will be raised

name = 'helló wörld from example'  # name = u'helló wörld from example' does not help
print type(name)
print name

# SyntaxError: Non-ASCII character...
# means you need add head-comment # encoding: utf-8

• so you need add head-comment # encoding: utf-8 or # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-(which is more standard) to fix it

# encoding: utf-8

name = 'helló wörld from example'
print type(name)  # <type 'str'>
print name        # hello world from example

• but # encoding: utf-8 won't change the fact that unicode and str are different in Python 2.7

# encoding: utf-8

name = u'helló wörld from example'
print type(name)  # <type 'unicode'>
print name        # hello world from example

• so you need the __future__ package

# encoding: utf-8
from __future__ import unicode_literals

name = 'helló wörld from example'  # name = u'helló wörld from example' is just in vain, they have the same effect
print type(name)  # <type 'unicode'>
print name        # hello world from example

• if you want to go back to str type, you need explicitly specify b before ''

# encoding: utf-8
from __future__ import unicode_literals

name = b'helló wörld from example'
print type(name)  # <type 'str'>
print name        # hello world from example