Why does utf8 not allow Cyrillic letters in listings when utf8x does?

Question

Answers in utf8x vs. utf8 (inputenc) say that utf8x shouldn't generally be used. However, with listings,

\documentclass[12pt]{beamer}
\usepackage{ucs}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage[T1,T2A]{fontenc}
\usepackage[russian]{babel}
\usepackage{color}
\usepackage{listings}
\lstset{
    inputencoding=utf8,
    extendedchars=\true,
    literate={а}{{\selectfont\char224}}1
    {б}{{\selectfont\char225}}1
    {в}{{\selectfont\char226}}1
    {г}{{\selectfont\char227}}1
    {д}{{\selectfont\char228}}1
    {е}{{\selectfont\char229}}1
    {ё}{{\"e}}1
    {ж}{{\selectfont\char230}}1
    {з}{{\selectfont\char231}}1
    {и}{{\selectfont\char232}}1
    {й}{{\selectfont\char233}}1
    {к}{{\selectfont\char234}}1
    {л}{{\selectfont\char235}}1
    {м}{{\selectfont\char236}}1
    {н}{{\selectfont\char237}}1
    {о}{{\selectfont\char238}}1
    {п}{{\selectfont\char239}}1
    {р}{{\selectfont\char240}}1
    {с}{{\selectfont\char241}}1
    {т}{{\selectfont\char242}}1
    {у}{{\selectfont\char243}}1
    {ф}{{\selectfont\char244}}1
    {х}{{\selectfont\char245}}1
    {ц}{{\selectfont\char246}}1
    {ч}{{\selectfont\char247}}1
    {ш}{{\selectfont\char248}}1
    {щ}{{\selectfont\char249}}1
    {ъ}{{\selectfont\char250}}1
    {ы}{{\selectfont\char251}}1
    {ь}{{\selectfont\char252}}1
    {э}{{\selectfont\char253}}1
    {ю}{{\selectfont\char254}}1
    {я}{{\selectfont\char255}}1
    {А}{{\selectfont\char192}}1
    {Б}{{\selectfont\char193}}1
    {В}{{\selectfont\char194}}1
    {Г}{{\selectfont\char195}}1
    {Д}{{\selectfont\char196}}1
    {Е}{{\selectfont\char197}}1
    {Ё}{{\"E}}1
    {Ж}{{\selectfont\char198}}1
    {З}{{\selectfont\char199}}1
    {И}{{\selectfont\char200}}1
    {Й}{{\selectfont\char201}}1
    {К}{{\selectfont\char202}}1
    {Л}{{\selectfont\char203}}1
    {М}{{\selectfont\char204}}1
    {Н}{{\selectfont\char205}}1
    {О}{{\selectfont\char206}}1
    {П}{{\selectfont\char207}}1
    {Р}{{\selectfont\char208}}1
    {С}{{\selectfont\char209}}1
    {Т}{{\selectfont\char210}}1
    {У}{{\selectfont\char211}}1
    {Ф}{{\selectfont\char212}}1
    {Х}{{\selectfont\char213}}1
    {Ц}{{\selectfont\char214}}1
    {Ч}{{\selectfont\char215}}1
    {Ш}{{\selectfont\char216}}1
    {Щ}{{\selectfont\char217}}1
    {Ъ}{{\selectfont\char218}}1
    {Ы}{{\selectfont\char219}}1
    {Ь}{{\selectfont\char220}}1
    {Э}{{\selectfont\char221}}1
    {Ю}{{\selectfont\char222}}1
    {Я}{{\selectfont\char223}}1
}
\begin{document}
\lstinline|а|
\end{document}

works correctly and shows Cyrillic а. Replacing utf8x with utf8 in both places shows Я instead.

Does the above literate "magic spell" (since I don't understand how it works) need to be changed for utf8?

(I don't want to switch to XeTeX at the moment.)

Answer 1

I get the wrong char both with ucs and without it. The problem is that you use \true instead of true for the extendedchars option and so effectively set it to false. I would also suggest to replace the numbers with the commands \cyra etc, you find them in t2aenc.def or t2aend.dfu.

\documentclass[12pt]{beamer}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage[T1,T2A]{fontenc}
\usepackage[russian]{babel}
\usepackage{color}
\usepackage{listings}
\lstset{
    inputencoding=utf8,
    extendedchars=true, %compare with false instead
    literate={а}{\cyra}1
    {б}{{\selectfont\char225}}1
    {в}{{\selectfont\char226}}1
    {г}{{\selectfont\char227}}1
    {д}{{\selectfont\char228}}1
    {е}{{\selectfont\char229}}1
    {ё}{{\"e}}1
    {ж}{{\selectfont\char230}}1
    {з}{{\selectfont\char231}}1
    {и}{{\selectfont\char232}}1
    {й}{{\selectfont\char233}}1
    {к}{{\selectfont\char234}}1
    {л}{{\selectfont\char235}}1
    {м}{{\selectfont\char236}}1
    {н}{{\selectfont\char237}}1
    {о}{{\selectfont\char238}}1
    {п}{{\selectfont\char239}}1
    {р}{{\selectfont\char240}}1
    {с}{{\selectfont\char241}}1
    {т}{{\selectfont\char242}}1
    {у}{{\selectfont\char243}}1
    {ф}{{\selectfont\char244}}1
    {х}{{\selectfont\char245}}1
    {ц}{{\selectfont\char246}}1
    {ч}{{\selectfont\char247}}1
    {ш}{{\selectfont\char248}}1
    {щ}{{\selectfont\char249}}1
    {ъ}{{\selectfont\char250}}1
    {ы}{{\selectfont\char251}}1
    {ь}{{\selectfont\char252}}1
    {э}{{\selectfont\char253}}1
    {ю}{{\selectfont\char254}}1
    {я}{{\selectfont\char255}}1
    {А}{{\selectfont\char192}}1
    {Б}{{\selectfont\char193}}1
    {В}{{\selectfont\char194}}1
    {Г}{{\selectfont\char195}}1
    {Д}{{\selectfont\char196}}1
    {Е}{{\selectfont\char197}}1
    {Ё}{{\"E}}1
    {Ж}{{\selectfont\char198}}1
    {З}{{\selectfont\char199}}1
    {И}{{\selectfont\char200}}1
    {Й}{{\selectfont\char201}}1
    {К}{{\selectfont\char202}}1
    {Л}{{\selectfont\char203}}1
    {М}{{\selectfont\char204}}1
    {Н}{{\selectfont\char205}}1
    {О}{{\selectfont\char206}}1
    {П}{{\selectfont\char207}}1
    {Р}{{\selectfont\char208}}1
    {С}{{\selectfont\char209}}1
    {Т}{{\selectfont\char210}}1
    {У}{{\selectfont\char211}}1
    {Ф}{{\selectfont\char212}}1
    {Х}{{\selectfont\char213}}1
    {Ц}{{\selectfont\char214}}1
    {Ч}{{\selectfont\char215}}1
    {Ш}{{\selectfont\char216}}1
    {Щ}{{\selectfont\char217}}1
    {Ъ}{{\selectfont\char218}}1
    {Ы}{{\selectfont\char219}}1
    {Ь}{{\selectfont\char220}}1
    {Э}{{\selectfont\char221}}1
    {Ю}{{\selectfont\char222}}1
    {Я}{{\selectfont\char223}}1
}
\begin{document}  
\lstinline|абЮ|
\end{document}

Answer 2

The main error is in \true instead of true.

\documentclass[12pt]{article}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage[T1,T2A]{fontenc}
\usepackage[russian]{babel}
\usepackage{color}
\usepackage{listings}
\lstset{
    inputencoding=utf8,
    extendedchars=true,
    literate=
    {а}{{\cyra}}1
    {б}{{\cyrb}}1
    {в}{{\cyrv}}1
    {г}{{\cyrg}}1
    {д}{{\cyrd}}1
    {е}{{\cyre}}1
    {ё}{\"{\cyre}}1
    {ж}{{\cyrzh}}1
    {з}{{\cyrz}}1
    {и}{{\cyri}}1
    {й}{{\cyrishrt}}1
    {к}{{\cyrk}}1
    {л}{{\cyrl}}1
    {м}{{\cyrm}}1
    {н}{{\cyrn}}1
    {о}{{\cyro}}1
    {п}{{\cyrp}}1
    {р}{{\cyrr}}1
    {с}{{\cyrs}}1
    {т}{{\cyrt}}1
    {у}{{\cyru}}1
    {ф}{{\cyrf}}1
    {х}{{\cyrh}}1
    {ц}{{\cyrc}}1
    {ч}{{\cyrch}}1
    {ш}{{\cyrsh}}1
    {щ}{{\cyrshch}}1
    {ъ}{{\cyrhrdsn}}1
    {ы}{{\cyrery}}1
    {ь}{{\cyrsftsn}}1
    {э}{{\cyrerev}}1
    {ю}{{\cyryu}}1
    {я}{{\cyrya}}1
    {А}{{\CYRA}}1
    {Б}{{\CYRB}}1
    {В}{{\CYRV}}1
    {Г}{{\CYRG}}1
    {Д}{{\CYR96}}1
    {Е}{{\CYRE}}1
    {Ё}{{\"{\CYRE}}}1
    {Ж}{{\CYRZH}}1
    {З}{{\CYRZ}}1
    {И}{{\CYRI}}1
    {Й}{{\CYRISHRT}}1
    {К}{{\CYRK}}1
    {Л}{{\CYRL}}1
    {М}{{\CYRM}}1
    {Н}{{\CYRN}}1
    {О}{{\CYRO}}1
    {П}{{\CYRP}}1
    {Р}{{\CYRR}}1
    {С}{{\CYRS}}1
    {Т}{{\CYRT}}1
    {У}{{\CYRU}}1
    {Ф}{{\CYRF}}1
    {Х}{{\CYRH}}1
    {Ц}{{\CYRC}}1
    {Ч}{{\CYRCH}}1
    {Ш}{{\CYRSH}}1
    {Щ}{{\CYRSHCH}}1
    {Ъ}{{\CYRHRDSN}}1
    {Ы}{{\CYRERY}}1
    {Ь}{{\CYRSFTSN}}1
    {Э}{{\CYREREV}}1
    {Ю}{{\CYRYU}}1
    {Я}{{\CYRYA}}1
}
\begin{document}
\lstinline|абвгдеёжз...юя|
\end{document}