# Greek characters in compiled executable

**URL:** <https://discuss.python.org/t/greek-characters-in-compiled-executable/85775>\
**Category:** Python Help\
**Created:** [March 24, 2025, 10:45am UTC](https://discuss.python.org/t/greek-characters-in-compiled-executable/85775 "2025-03-24T10:45:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Neptune.1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/977dab/32.png) [@Neptune.1](https://discuss.python.org/u/Neptune.1)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 10:45am UTC](https://discuss.python.org/t/greek-characters-in-compiled-executable/85775/1 "2025-03-24T10:45:47Z")

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I have a script that contains the following instruction  
print("\u03C0 ");  
In the python IDLE the output is correct (greek character pi)  
but when I run the compiled executable, the output is  
p (not greek).

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**Author:** ![chepner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/22d042/32.png) [@chepner](https://discuss.python.org/u/chepner)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 11:47am UTC](https://discuss.python.org/t/greek-characters-in-compiled-executable/85775/2 "2025-03-24T11:47:45Z")

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What is the “compiled executable”?

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**Author:** ![JamesParrott](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discuss.python.org/jamesparrott/32/10534_2.png) [@JamesParrott](https://discuss.python.org/u/JamesParrott)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 12:35pm UTC](https://discuss.python.org/t/greek-characters-in-compiled-executable/85775/3 "2025-03-24T12:35:15Z")

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What happens when you run the script from the command line in the same shell, with `python -X utf8 `? If you’re using cmd or have set the encoding or Windows code page to something that doesn’t support π as \u03C0 in the encoding Python used for the bytes it sent to stdout, then it may well not work.