--- /dev/null
+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.
+
+ 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 May 2001.
+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 cs da de el en eo es et fi fr gl hr id it
+ +----------------------------------------------+
+ a2ps | [] [] |
+ bash | [] [] [] [] |
+ bison | [] [] [] [] |
+ clisp | [] [] [] [] |
+ cpio | [] [] [] [] |
+ diffutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] |
+ enscript | [] [] |
+ error | [] |
+ fileutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] |
+ findutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] |
+ flex | [] [] [] |
+ gawk | |
+ gcal | |
+ gcc | [] |
+ gettext | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] |
+ gnupg | [] [] [] [] [] |
+ grep | [] [] [] |
+ hello | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] |
+ id-utils | [] [] |
+ indent | [] [] [] [] [] |
+ libc | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] |
+ lilypond | |
+ lynx | [] [] [] |
+ m4 | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] |
+ make | [] [] [] [] |
+ parted | [] [] |
+ ptx | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] |
+ python | |
+ recode | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] |
+ sed | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] |
+ sh-utils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] |
+ sharutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] |
+ soundtracker | |
+ sp | |
+ tar | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] |
+ texinfo | [] [] [] [] |
+ textutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] |
+ util-linux | [] |
+ wdiff | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] |
+ wget | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] |
+ +----------------------------------------------+
+ bg cs da de el en eo es et fi fr gl hr id it
+ 0 14 21 27 10 1 8 20 13 1 28 17 0 9 11
+
+ ja ko lv nl no pl pt pt_BR ru sk sl sv tr zh
+ +----------------------------------------------+
+ a2ps | [] [] [] | 5
+ bash | | 4
+ bison | [] [] [] | 7
+ clisp | [] | 5
+ cpio | [] [] [] [] [] | 9
+ diffutils | [] [] [] | 10
+ enscript | [] [] [] | 5
+ error | | 1
+ fileutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 16
+ findutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] | 14
+ flex | [] [] [] | 6
+ gawk | | 0
+ gcal | | 0
+ gcc | [] | 2
+ gettext | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 19
+ gnupg | [] [] [] | 8
+ grep | | 3
+ hello | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 17
+ id-utils | [] [] [] | 5
+ indent | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 12
+ libc | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 15
+ lilypond | [] | 1
+ lynx | [] [] [] [] [] | 8
+ m4 | [] [] [] [] [] | 12
+ make | [] [] [] [] [] | 9
+ parted | [] [] [] | 5
+ ptx | [] [] [] [] [] [] | 13
+ python | | 0
+ recode | [] [] [] | 11
+ sed | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 16
+ sh-utils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 19
+ sharutils | [] [] [] [] | 11
+ soundtracker | | 0
+ sp | | 0
+ tar | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 16
+ texinfo | [] [] | 6
+ textutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 15
+ util-linux | [] | 2
+ wdiff | [] [] [] [] [] | 12
+ wget | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 17
+ +----------------------------------------------+
+ 29 teams ja ko lv nl no pl pt pt_BR ru sk sl sv tr zh
+ 40 domains 18 8 0 23 6 16 1 15 26 9 9 20 2 3 336
+
+ 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 May 2001 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 the GNU Public License applies to your sources from
+then if you include `gettext' directly in your distribution on but
+since you are writing free software anyway this is no restriction.
+
+ Once the sources are change 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.
+
projects / bison.git / commitdiff
