Index: Doc/library/sys.rst
===================================================================
--- Doc/library/sys.rst	(revision 87918)
+++ Doc/library/sys.rst	(working copy)
@@ -936,7 +936,16 @@
    :meth:`~io.BufferedIOBase.detach` method and can raise :exc:`AttributeError`
    or :exc:`io.UnsupportedOperation`.
 
+   .. note::
 
+      On Windows since Python XXX, the initial standard streams support input
+      or output of all Unicode characters when they are attached to a console.
+      See :class:`io.TextIOWrapper` for further details about this support.
+      For Unicode characters to be displayed and input correctly when Python
+      is run from a Command Prompt, its font must be set to Lucida Console or
+      Consolas.
+
+
 .. data:: __stdin__
           __stdout__
           __stderr__
Index: Doc/library/os.rst
===================================================================
--- Doc/library/os.rst	(revision 87918)
+++ Doc/library/os.rst	(working copy)
@@ -595,7 +595,15 @@
    Return a string describing the encoding of the device associated with *fd*
    if it is connected to a terminal; else return :const:`None`.
 
+   .. note::
 
+      On Windows, when *fd* is associated with a console, it is possible to
+      use ``t = io.TextIOWrapper(io.open(fd, ...)); t.use_console = True`` to
+      create a text stream object that can read and/or write all Unicode characters,
+      even though ``device_encoding(fd)`` may return an encoding that does not
+      support all of Unicode.
+
+
 .. function:: dup(fd)
 
    Return a duplicate of file descriptor *fd*.
@@ -609,7 +617,23 @@
 
    Availability: Unix, Windows.
 
+   .. note::
 
+      On Windows, if a :class:`io.TextIOWrapper` object on which :attr:`use_console`
+      has been set to ``True`` is wrapping a buffer with the file descriptor
+      given by *fd2*, then the :meth:`redirect` method of the
+      :class:`TextIOWrapper` needs to be called for it to remain associated
+      with the correct console or stream. If *fd2* is 0, 1, or 2, then
+      :func:`os.dup2` will automatically call :meth:`redirect` on
+      :data:`sys.__stdin__`, :data:`sys.__stdout__`, or :data:`sys.__stderr__`
+      respectively. It will *also* call :meth:`redirect` on
+      :data:`sys.stdin`, :data:`sys.stdout`, or :data:`sys.stderr` if it
+      has been changed to a different object that has a :meth:`redirect` method.
+
+      To avoid this automatic calling of :meth:`redirect` methods, use
+      ``getattr(os, '_dup2', os.dup2)(fd, fd2)``.
+
+
 .. function:: fchmod(fd, mode)
 
    Change the mode of the file given by *fd* to the numeric *mode*.  See the docs
Index: Doc/library/io.rst
===================================================================
--- Doc/library/io.rst	(revision 87918)
+++ Doc/library/io.rst	(working copy)
@@ -705,14 +705,36 @@
       Write the string *s* to the stream and return the number of characters
       written.
 
+   .. method:: redirect()
 
+      For a console text stream, ensure that the console handle is up-to-date
+      after a possible redirection of the underlying file descriptor. If this
+      is not a console text stream, or on platforms other than Windows, this
+      method has no effect.
+
+      The underlying fd is found by calling ``fileno()`` on this stream's
+      buffer object. If the buffer no longer has a :meth:`fileno` method or
+      if ``buffer.fileno()`` is no longer associated with a console, then
+      the stream switches to using the *buffer*, *encoding* and *errors* mode
+      passed to the constructor.
+      
+      Since the :class:`TextIOWrapper` interface in versions of Python prior
+      to XXX did not have a :meth:`redirect` method, you should check whether
+      this method exists before calling it, e.g.::
+
+        if hasattr(textio, 'redirect'):
+            textio.redirect()
+      
+
 .. class:: TextIOWrapper(buffer, encoding=None, errors=None, newline=None, line_buffering=False)
 
    A buffered text stream over a :class:`BufferedIOBase` binary stream.
    It inherits :class:`TextIOBase`.
 
    *encoding* gives the name of the encoding that the stream will be decoded or
-   encoded with.  It defaults to :func:`locale.getpreferredencoding`.
+   encoded with.  It defaults to ``os.device_encoding(buffer.fileno())`` if
+   *buffer* has a :meth:`fileno` method and its file descriptor is attached
+   to a terminal, or ``locale.getpreferredencoding()`` otherwise.
 
    *errors* is an optional string that specifies how encoding and decoding
    errors are to be handled.  Pass ``'strict'`` to raise a :exc:`ValueError`
@@ -737,14 +759,54 @@
    If *line_buffering* is ``True``, :meth:`flush` is implied when a call to
    write contains a newline character.
 
-   :class:`TextIOWrapper` provides one attribute in addition to those of
-   :class:`TextIOBase` and its parents:
+   :class:`TextIOWrapper` provides the following attributes in addition to
+   those of :class:`TextIOBase` and its parents:
 
    .. attribute:: line_buffering
 
       Whether line buffering is enabled.
 
+   .. attribute:: use_console
 
+      Setting this attribute only has an effect in versions of Python since
+      XXX running on Windows.
+
+      In that case, setting :attr:`use_console` to ``True`` for a
+      :class`TextIOWrapper` object that is connected to a Windows console
+      allows it to directly use Unicode console APIs, ignoring the *encoding*
+      and *errors* mode passed to the constructor. This enables use of
+      the full Unicode character set even though the encoding may only
+      support a subset of Unicode.
+
+      :attr:`use_console` is set by default for the initial stdin, stdout
+      and stderr streams on Windows. It is not set by default for other
+      streams, primarily because that could cause compatibility problems
+      due to the console APIs bypassing the underlying buffer object.
+      Setting :attr:`use_console` may also change buffering behavior.
+
+      Setting :attr:`use_console` to ``False`` prevents Unicode console
+      APIs from being used when they otherwise would be.
+
+      (This is an attribute rather than a parameter to the constructor,
+      so that ``t.use_console = True`` will be silently ignored on versions
+      of Python prior to XXX, which is usually the desired behavior.)
+
+   .. note::
+
+      Setting :attr:`use_console` to ``True`` on streams that are not
+      connected to a console has no effect, so it does not prevent the
+      stream from being redirected. However, if a :class:`TextIOWrapper`
+      object is initially connected to a console and then
+      ``os.dup2(fd, fd2)`` is used to redirect the underlying
+      file descriptor (``fd2``), the :class:`TextIOWrapper` might
+      continue to access the original console. To avoid this problem,
+      call the :meth:`redirect` method after calling :func:`os.dup2`.
+      It is unnecessary for do this for :data:`sys.stdin`, :data:`stdout`
+      and :data:`stderr`, or for :data:`sys.__stdin__`, :data:`__stdout__`
+      and :data:`__stderr__`, since :func:`os.dup2` will do so
+      automatically when redirecting the standard I/O file descriptors.
+
+
 .. class:: StringIO(initial_value='', newline=None)
 
    An in-memory stream for text I/O.