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diff --git a/ABOUT-NLS b/ABOUT-NLS new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f083395 --- /dev/null +++ b/ABOUT-NLS @@ -0,0 +1,393 @@ +Notes on the Free Translation Project +************************************* + + Free software is going international! The Free Translation Project +is a way to get maintainers of free software, translators, and users all +together, so that will gradually become able to speak many languages. +A few packages already provide translations for their messages. + + If you found this `ABOUT-NLS' file inside a distribution, you may +assume that the distributed package does use GNU `gettext' internally, +itself available at your nearest GNU archive site. But you do _not_ +need to install GNU `gettext' prior to configuring, installing or using +this package with messages translated. + + Installers will find here some useful hints. These notes also +explain how users should proceed for getting the programs to use the +available translations. They tell how people wanting to contribute and +work at translations should contact the appropriate team. + + When reporting bugs in the `intl/' directory or bugs which may be +related to internationalization, you should tell about the version of +`gettext' which is used. The information can be found in the +`intl/VERSION' file, in internationalized packages. + +Quick configuration advice +========================== + + If you want to exploit the full power of internationalization, you +should configure it using + + ./configure --with-included-gettext + +to force usage of internationalizing routines provided within this +package, despite the existence of internationalizing capabilities in the +operating system where this package is being installed. So far, only +the `gettext' implementation in the GNU C library version 2 provides as +many features (such as locale alias, message inheritance, automatic +charset conversion or plural form handling) as the implementation here. +It is also not possible to offer this additional functionality on top +of a `catgets' implementation. Future versions of GNU `gettext' will +very likely convey even more functionality. So it might be a good idea +to change to GNU `gettext' as soon as possible. + + So you need _not_ provide this option if you are using GNU libc 2 or +you have installed a recent copy of the GNU gettext package with the +included `libintl'. + +INSTALL Matters +=============== + + Some packages are "localizable" when properly installed; the +programs they contain can be made to speak your own native language. +Most such packages use GNU `gettext'. Other packages have their own +ways to internationalization, predating GNU `gettext'. + + By default, this package will be installed to allow translation of +messages. It will automatically detect whether the system already +provides the GNU `gettext' functions. If not, the GNU `gettext' own +library will be used. This library is wholly contained within this +package, usually in the `intl/' subdirectory, so prior installation of +the GNU `gettext' package is _not_ required. Installers may use +special options at configuration time for changing the default +behaviour. The commands: + + ./configure --with-included-gettext + ./configure --disable-nls + +will respectively bypass any pre-existing `gettext' to use the +internationalizing routines provided within this package, or else, +_totally_ disable translation of messages. + + When you already have GNU `gettext' installed on your system and run +configure without an option for your new package, `configure' will +probably detect the previously built and installed `libintl.a' file and +will decide to use this. This might be not what is desirable. You +should use the more recent version of the GNU `gettext' library. I.e. +if the file `intl/VERSION' shows that the library which comes with this +package is more recent, you should use + + ./configure --with-included-gettext + +to prevent auto-detection. + + The configuration process will not test for the `catgets' function +and therefore it will not be used. The reason is that even an +emulation of `gettext' on top of `catgets' could not provide all the +extensions of the GNU `gettext' library. + + Internationalized packages have usually many `po/LL.po' files, where +LL gives an ISO 639 two-letter code identifying the language. Unless +translations have been forbidden at `configure' time by using the +`--disable-nls' switch, all available translations are installed +together with the package. However, the environment variable `LINGUAS' +may be set, prior to configuration, to limit the installed set. +`LINGUAS' should then contain a space separated list of two-letter +codes, stating which languages are allowed. + +Using This Package +================== + + As a user, if your language has been installed for this package, you +only have to set the `LANG' environment variable to the appropriate +`LL_CC' combination. Here `LL' is an ISO 639 two-letter language code, +and `CC' is an ISO 3166 two-letter country code. For example, let's +suppose that you speak German and live in Germany. At the shell +prompt, merely execute `setenv LANG de_DE' (in `csh'), +`export LANG; LANG=de_DE' (in `sh') or `export LANG=de_DE' (in `bash'). +This can be done from your `.login' or `.profile' file, once and for +all. + + You might think that the country code specification is redundant. +But in fact, some languages have dialects in different countries. For +example, `de_AT' is used for Austria, and `pt_BR' for Brazil. The +country code serves to distinguish the dialects. + + The locale naming convention of `LL_CC', with `LL' denoting the +language and `CC' denoting the country, is the one use on systems based +on GNU libc. On other systems, some variations of this scheme are +used, such as `LL' or `LL_CC.ENCODING'. You can get the list of +locales supported by your system for your country by running the command +`locale -a | grep '^LL''. + + Not all programs have translations for all languages. By default, an +English message is shown in place of a nonexistent translation. If you +understand other languages, you can set up a priority list of languages. +This is done through a different environment variable, called +`LANGUAGE'. GNU `gettext' gives preference to `LANGUAGE' over `LANG' +for the purpose of message handling, but you still need to have `LANG' +set to the primary language; this is required by other parts of the +system libraries. For example, some Swedish users who would rather +read translations in German than English for when Swedish is not +available, set `LANGUAGE' to `sv:de' while leaving `LANG' to `sv_SE'. + + In the `LANGUAGE' environment variable, but not in the `LANG' +environment variable, `LL_CC' combinations can be abbreviated as `LL' +to denote the language's main dialect. For example, `de' is equivalent +to `de_DE' (German as spoken in Germany), and `pt' to `pt_PT' +(Portuguese as spoken in Portugal) in this context. + +Translating Teams +================= + + For the Free Translation Project to be a success, we need interested +people who like their own language and write it well, and who are also +able to synergize with other translators speaking the same language. +Each translation team has its own mailing list. The up-to-date list of +teams can be found at the Free Translation Project's homepage, +`http://www.iro.umontreal.ca/contrib/po/HTML/', in the "National teams" +area. + + If you'd like to volunteer to _work_ at translating messages, you +should become a member of the translating team for your own language. +The subscribing address is _not_ the same as the list itself, it has +`-request' appended. For example, speakers of Swedish can send a +message to `sv-request@li.org', having this message body: + + subscribe + + Keep in mind that team members are expected to participate +_actively_ in translations, or at solving translational difficulties, +rather than merely lurking around. If your team does not exist yet and +you want to start one, or if you are unsure about what to do or how to +get started, please write to `translation@iro.umontreal.ca' to reach the +coordinator for all translator teams. + + The English team is special. It works at improving and uniformizing +the terminology in use. Proven linguistic skill are praised more than +programming skill, here. + +Available Packages +================== + + Languages are not equally supported in all packages. The following +matrix shows the current state of internationalization, as of January +2002. The matrix shows, in regard of each package, for which languages +PO files have been submitted to translation coordination, with a +translation percentage of at least 50%. + + Ready PO files bg ca cs da de el en eo es et fi fr + +-------------------------------------+ + a2ps | [] [] [] [] | + bash | [] [] [] [] | + bfd | [] [] | + binutils | [] [] | + bison | [] [] [] | + clisp | [] [] [] [] | + cpio | [] [] [] [] | + diffutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] | + enscript | [] [] | + error | [] [] | + fetchmail | () [] [] [] () | + fileutils | [] [] [] [] [] | + findutils | [] [] [] [] [] | + flex | [] [] [] | + gas | [] | + gawk | [] [] | + gcal | [] [] | + gcc | [] [] | + gettext | [] [] [] [] [] | + gnupg | [] [] [] [] [] [] | + gprof | [] [] | + grep | [] [] [] [] [] [] | + hello | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | + id-utils | [] [] [] | + indent | [] [] [] [] | + jpilot | () [] [] [] | + jwhois | [] [] | + kbd | [] | + ld | [] [] | + libc | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | + lilypond | [] [] | + lynx | [] [] [] [] | + m4 | [] [] [] [] [] | + make | [] [] [] [] | + mysecretdiary | [] [] | + nano | [] () [] [] [] [] | + nano_1_0 | [] () [] [] [] [] | + opcodes | [] [] [] | + parted | [] [] [] [] | + ptx | [] [] [] [] [] | + python | | + recode | [] [] [] [] [] [] | + sed | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | + sh-utils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | + sharutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] | + sketch | () [] () | + soundtracker | [] [] [] | + sp | | + tar | [] [] [] [] [] [] | + texinfo | [] [] [] [] [] | + textutils | [] [] [] [] | + util-linux | [] [] [] [] | + wdiff | [] [] [] [] [] | + wget | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | + +-------------------------------------+ + bg ca cs da de el en eo es et fi fr + 0 8 12 31 36 9 1 9 37 15 1 49 + + gl he hr hu id it ja ko lv nb nl nn + +-------------------------------------+ + a2ps | () () [] | + bash | | + bfd | [] | + binutils | [] | + bison | [] | + clisp | [] | + cpio | [] [] [] | + diffutils | [] [] | + enscript | [] | + error | [] | + fetchmail | | + fileutils | [] [] | + findutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] | + flex | [] | + gas | | + gawk | [] | + gcal | | + gcc | [] | + gettext | [] | + gnupg | [] [] [] | + gprof | | + grep | [] [] | + hello | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | + id-utils | [] | + indent | [] [] [] | + jpilot | () () | + jwhois | | + kbd | | + ld | | + libc | [] [] [] [] | + lilypond | [] [] | + lynx | [] [] | + m4 | [] [] [] [] | + make | [] [] [] [] | + mysecretdiary | | + nano | [] [] [] () () [] | + nano_1_0 | [] [] [] () () [] | + opcodes | | + parted | [] [] [] | + ptx | [] [] [] [] | + python | | + recode | [] [] [] | + sed | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | + sh-utils | [] [] [] [] [] | + sharutils | [] [] [] | + sketch | () | + soundtracker | [] | + sp | | + tar | [] [] [] | + texinfo | [] [] [] | + textutils | [] [] | + util-linux | () [] | + wdiff | | + wget | [] [] [] [] [] | + +-------------------------------------+ + gl he hr hu id it ja ko lv nb nl nn + 20 6 1 3 6 11 22 9 1 6 17 4 + + no pl pt pt_BR ru sk sl sv tr uk zh + +-------------------------------------+ + a2ps | () () () [] [] [] () | 8 + bash | | 4 + bfd | [] [] | 5 + binutils | [] | 4 + bison | [] [] [] | 7 + clisp | | 5 + cpio | [] [] [] [] | 11 + diffutils | [] [] [] | 11 + enscript | [] [] [] | 6 + error | [] [] | 5 + fetchmail | () () | 3 + fileutils | [] [] [] [] | 11 + findutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] | 17 + flex | [] [] | 6 + gas | [] | 2 + gawk | [] [] | 5 + gcal | [] | 3 + gcc | [] | 4 + gettext | [] [] [] [] | 10 + gnupg | [] [] [] | 12 + gprof | [] [] | 4 + grep | [] [] [] [] [] | 13 + hello | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 24 + id-utils | [] [] | 6 + indent | [] [] [] [] | 11 + jpilot | () () | 3 + jwhois | () () | 2 + kbd | [] [] | 3 + ld | [] [] | 4 + libc | [] [] [] [] [] [] | 17 + lilypond | [] | 5 + lynx | [] [] [] | 9 + m4 | [] [] [] | 12 + make | [] [] [] [] | 12 + mysecretdiary | [] | 3 + nano | () [] [] [] | 12 + nano_1_0 | () [] [] [] | 12 + opcodes | [] [] | 5 + parted | [] [] [] | 10 + ptx | [] [] [] [] [] [] | 15 + python | | 0 + recode | [] [] [] [] | 13 + sed | [] [] [] [] [] [] | 21 + sh-utils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 22 + sharutils | [] [] | 11 + sketch | () | 1 + soundtracker | | 4 + sp | | 0 + tar | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 16 + texinfo | [] [] | 10 + textutils | [] [] | 8 + util-linux | [] [] [] | 8 + wdiff | [] [] [] [] | 9 + wget | [] [] [] [] [] [] | 19 + +-------------------------------------+ + 35 teams no pl pt pt_BR ru sk sl sv tr uk zh + 54 domains 5 12 2 11 25 10 11 39 29 4 1 463 + + Some counters in the preceding matrix are higher than the number of +visible blocks let us expect. This is because a few extra PO files are +used for implementing regional variants of languages, or language +dialects. + + For a PO file in the matrix above to be effective, the package to +which it applies should also have been internationalized and +distributed as such by its maintainer. There might be an observable +lag between the mere existence a PO file and its wide availability in a +distribution. + + If January 2002 seems to be old, you may fetch a more recent copy of +this `ABOUT-NLS' file on most GNU archive sites. The most up-to-date +matrix with full percentage details can be found at +`http://www.iro.umontreal.ca/contrib/po/HTML/matrix.html'. + +Using `gettext' in new packages +=============================== + + If you are writing a freely available program and want to +internationalize it you are welcome to use GNU `gettext' in your +package. Of course you have to respect the GNU Library General Public +License which covers the use of the GNU `gettext' library. This means +in particular that even non-free programs can use `libintl' as a shared +library, whereas only free software can use `libintl' as a static +library or use modified versions of `libintl'. + + Once the sources are changed appropriately and the setup can handle +to use of `gettext' the only thing missing are the translations. The +Free Translation Project is also available for packages which are not +developed inside the GNU project. Therefore the information given above +applies also for every other Free Software Project. Contact +`translation@iro.umontreal.ca' to make the `.pot' files available to +the translation teams. + |