PEP 293 implemention (from SF patch http://www.python.org/sf/432401)

Doc/lib/libcodecs.tex

@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 
 This module defines base classes for standard Python codecs (encoders
 and decoders) and provides access to the internal Python codec
-registry which manages the codec lookup process.
+registry which manages the codec and error handling lookup process.
 
 It defines the following functions:
 
@@ -98,6 +98,43 @@ Raises a \exception{LookupError} in case the encoding cannot be found.
 To simplify working with encoded files or stream, the module
 also defines these utility functions:
 
+\begin{funcdesc}{register_error}{name, error_handler}
+Register the error handling function \var{error_handler} under the
+name \var{name}. \vari{error_handler} will be called during encoding
+and decoding in case of an error, when \var{name} is specified as the
+errors parameter. \var{error_handler} will be called with an
+\exception{UnicodeEncodeError}, \exception{UnicodeDecodeError} or
+\exception{UnicodeTranslateError} instance and must return a tuple
+with a replacement for the unencodable/undecodable part of the input
+and a position where encoding/decoding should continue.
+\end{funcdesc}
+
+\begin{funcdesc}{lookup_error}{name}
+Return the error handler previously register under the name \var{name}.
+
+Raises a \exception{LookupError} in case the handler cannot be found.
+\end{funcdesc}
+
+\begin{funcdesc}{strict_errors}{exception}
+Implements the \code{strict} error handling.
+\end{funcdesc}
+
+\begin{funcdesc}{replace_errors}{exception}
+Implements the \code{replace} error handling.
+\end{funcdesc}
+
+\begin{funcdesc}{ignore_errors}{exception}
+Implements the \code{ignore} error handling.
+\end{funcdesc}
+
+\begin{funcdesc}{xmlcharrefreplace_errors_errors}{exception}
+Implements the \code{xmlcharrefreplace} error handling.
+\end{funcdesc}
+
+\begin{funcdesc}{backslashreplace_errors_errors}{exception}
+Implements the \code{backslashreplace} error handling.
+\end{funcdesc}
+
 \begin{funcdesc}{open}{filename, mode\optional{, encoding\optional{,
                        errors\optional{, buffering}}}}
 Open an encoded file using the given \var{mode} and return

Doc/lib/libexcs.tex

@@ -335,6 +335,24 @@ Raised when an \keyword{assert} statement fails.
 \versionadded{2.0}
 \end{excdesc}
 
+\begin{excdesc}{UnicodeEncodeError}
+  Raised when a Unicode-related error occurs during encoding.  It
+  is a subclass of \exception{UnicodeError}.
+\versionadded{2.3}
+\end{excdesc}
+
+\begin{excdesc}{UnicodeDecodeError}
+  Raised when a Unicode-related error occurs during decoding.  It
+  is a subclass of \exception{UnicodeError}.
+\versionadded{2.3}
+\end{excdesc}
+
+\begin{excdesc}{UnicodeTranslateError}
+  Raised when a Unicode-related error occurs during translating.  It
+  is a subclass of \exception{UnicodeError}.
+\versionadded{2.3}
+\end{excdesc}
+
 \begin{excdesc}{ValueError}
   Raised when a built-in operation or function receives an argument
   that has the right type but an inappropriate value, and the
@@ -426,6 +444,9 @@ The class hierarchy for built-in exceptions is:
      |    |    +-- FloatingPointError
      |    +-- ValueError
      |    |    +-- UnicodeError
+     |    |        +-- UnicodeEncodeError
+     |    |        +-- UnicodeDecodeError
+     |    |        +-- UnicodeTranslateError
      |    +-- ReferenceError
      |    +-- SystemError
      |    +-- MemoryError