Add "source_encoding" config value.

CHANGES

@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@ New features added
   - Added ``exclude_dirnames`` config value that can be used to exclude
     e.g. CVS directories from source file search.
 
+  - Added ``source_encoding`` config value to select input encoding.
+
 * Extensions:
 
   - The new extensions ``sphinx.ext.jsmath`` and ``sphinx.ext.pngmath``

doc/config.rst

@@ -67,8 +67,16 @@ General configuration
 .. confval:: source_suffix
 
    The file name extension of source files.  Only files with this suffix will be
-   read as sources.  Default is ``.rst``.
+   read as sources.  Default is ``'.rst'``.
 
+.. confval:: source_encoding
+
+   The encoding of all reST source files.  The recommended encoding, and the
+   default value, is ``'utf-8'``.
+
+   .. versionadded:: 0.5
+      Previously, Sphinx accepted only UTF-8 encoded sources.
+   
 .. confval:: master_doc
 
    The document name of the "master" document, that is, the document that

sphinx/config.py

@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ class Config(object):
 
         master_doc = ('contents', True),
         source_suffix = ('.rst', True),
+        source_encoding = ('utf-8', True),
         unused_docs = ([], True),
         exclude_dirs = ([], True),
         exclude_trees = ([], True),

sphinx/environment.py

@@ -496,9 +496,14 @@ class BuildEnvironment:
                 return data
 
         self.docname = docname
-        doctree = publish_doctree(None, src_path, SphinxSourceClass,
+        self.settings['input_encoding'] = self.config.source_encoding
-                                  settings_overrides=self.settings,
+        try:
-                                  reader=SphinxStandaloneReader())
+            doctree = publish_doctree(None, src_path, SphinxSourceClass,
+                                      settings_overrides=self.settings,
+                                      reader=SphinxStandaloneReader())
+        except UnicodeError, err:
+            from sphinx.application import SphinxError
+            raise SphinxError(err.message)
         self.filter_messages(doctree)
         self.process_dependencies(docname, doctree)
         self.process_images(docname, doctree)

sphinx/quickstart.py

@@ -54,6 +54,9 @@ templates_path = ['%(dot)stemplates']
 # The suffix of source filenames.
 source_suffix = '%(suffix)s'
 
+# The encoding of source files.
+#source_encoding = 'utf-8'
+
 # The master toctree document.
 master_doc = '%(master)s'