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	6	<TITLE>GNU gettext utilities - Updating Existing PO Files</TITLE>
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	13	<p>Go to the <A HREF="gettext_1.html">first</A>, <A HREF="gettext_4.html">previous</A>, <A HREF="gettext_6.html">next</A>, <A HREF="gettext_12.html">last</A> section, <A HREF="gettext_toc.html">table of contents</A>.
	14	<P><HR><P>
	15
	16
	17	<H1><A NAME="SEC23" HREF="gettext_toc.html#TOC23">Updating Existing PO Files</A></H1>
	18
	19
	20
	21	<H2><A NAME="SEC24" HREF="gettext_toc.html#TOC24">Invoking the <CODE>msgmerge</CODE> Program</A></H2>
	22
	23
	24
	25	<H2><A NAME="SEC25" HREF="gettext_toc.html#TOC25">Translated Entries</A></H2>
	26
	27	<P>
	28	Each PO file entry for which the <CODE>msgstr</CODE> field has been filled with
	29	a translation, and which is not marked as fuzzy (see section <A HREF="gettext_5.html#SEC26">Fuzzy Entries</A>),
	30	is a said to be a <STRONG>translated</STRONG> entry. Only translated entries will
	31	later be compiled by GNU <CODE>msgfmt</CODE> and become usable in programs.
	32	Other entry types will be excluded; translation will not occur for them.
	33
	34	</P>
	35	<P>
	36	Some commands are more specifically related to translated entry processing.
	37
	38	</P>
	39	<DL COMPACT>
	40
	41	<DT><KBD>t</KBD>
	42	<DD>
	43	Find the next translated entry.
	44
	45	<DT><KBD>M-t</KBD>
	46	<DD>
	47	Find the previous translated entry.
	48
	49	</DL>
	50
	51	<P>
	52	The commands <KBD>t</KBD> (<CODE>po-next-translated-entry</CODE>) and <KBD>M-t</KBD>
	53	(<CODE>po-previous-transted-entry</CODE>) move forwards or backwards, chasing
	54	for an translated entry. If none is found, the search is extended and
	55	wraps around in the PO file buffer.
	56
	57	</P>
	58	<P>
	59	Translated entries usually result from the translator having edited in
	60	a translation for them, section <A HREF="gettext_5.html#SEC29">Modifying Translations</A>. However, if the
	61	variable <CODE>po-auto-fuzzy-on-edit</CODE> is not <CODE>nil</CODE>, the entry having
	62	received a new translation first becomes a fuzzy entry, which ought to
	63	be later unfuzzied before becoming an official, genuine translated entry.
	64	See section <A HREF="gettext_5.html#SEC26">Fuzzy Entries</A>.
	65
	66	</P>
	67
	68
	69	<H2><A NAME="SEC26" HREF="gettext_toc.html#TOC26">Fuzzy Entries</A></H2>
	70
	71	<P>
	72	Each PO file entry may have a set of <STRONG>attributes</STRONG>, which are
	73	qualities given an name and explicitely associated with the entry
	74	translation, using a special system comment. One of these attributes
	75	has the name <CODE>fuzzy</CODE>, and entries having this attribute are said
	76	to have a fuzzy translation. They are called fuzzy entries, for short.
	77
	78	</P>
	79	<P>
	80	Fuzzy entries, even if they account for translated entries for
	81	most other purposes, usually call for revision by the translator.
	82	Those may be produced by applying the program <CODE>msgmerge</CODE> to
	83	update an older translated PO files according to a new PO template
	84	file, when this tool hypothesises that some new <CODE>msgid</CODE> has
	85	been modified only slightly out of an older one, and chooses to pair
	86	what it thinks to be the old translation for the new modified entry.
	87	The slight alteration in the original string (the <CODE>msgid</CODE> string)
	88	should often be reflected in the translated string, and this requires
	89	the intervention of the translator. For this reason, <CODE>msgmerge</CODE>
	90	might mark some entries as being fuzzy.
	91
	92	</P>
	93	<P>
	94	Also, the translator may decide herself to mark an entry as fuzzy
	95	for her own convenience, when she wants to remember that the entry
	96	has to be later revisited. So, some commands are more specifically
	97	related to fuzzy entry processing.
	98
	99	</P>
	100	<DL COMPACT>
	101
	102	<DT><KBD>f</KBD>
	103	<DD>
	104	Find the next fuzzy entry.
	105
	106	<DT><KBD>M-f</KBD>
	107	<DD>
	108	Find the previous fuzzy entry.
	109
	110	<DT><KBD>TAB</KBD>
	111	<DD>
	112	Remove the fuzzy attribute of the current entry.
	113
	114	</DL>
	115
	116	<P>
	117	The commands <KBD>f</KBD> (<CODE>po-next-fuzzy</CODE>) and <KBD>M-f</KBD>
	118	(<CODE>po-previous-fuzzy</CODE>) move forwards or backwards, chasing for
	119	a fuzzy entry. If none is found, the search is extended and wraps
	120	around in the PO file buffer.
	121
	122	</P>
	123	<P>
	124	The command <KBD>TAB</KBD> (<CODE>po-unfuzzy</CODE>) removes the fuzzy
	125	attribute associated with an entry, usually leaving it translated.
	126	Further, if the variable <CODE>po-auto-select-on-unfuzzy</CODE> has not
	127	the <CODE>nil</CODE> value, the <KBD>TAB</KBD> command will automatically chase
	128	for another interesting entry to work on. The initial value of
	129	<CODE>po-auto-select-on-unfuzzy</CODE> is <CODE>nil</CODE>.
	130
	131	</P>
	132	<P>
	133	The initial value of <CODE>po-auto-fuzzy-on-edit</CODE> is <CODE>nil</CODE>. However,
	134	if the variable <CODE>po-auto-fuzzy-on-edit</CODE> is set to <CODE>t</CODE>, any entry
	135	edited through the <KBD>RET</KBD> command is marked fuzzy, as a way to ensure
	136	some kind of double check, later. In this case, the usual paradigm is
	137	that an entry becomes fuzzy (if not already) whenever the translator
	138	modifies it. If she is satisfied with the translation, she then uses
	139	<KBD>TAB</KBD> to pick another entry to work on, clearing the fuzzy attribute
	140	on the same blow. If she is not satisfied yet, she merely uses <KBD>SPC</KBD>
	141	to chase another entry, leaving the entry fuzzy.
	142
	143	</P>
	144	<P>
	145	The translator may also use the <KBD>DEL</KBD> command
	146	(<CODE>po-fade-out-entry</CODE>) over any translated entry to mark it as being
	147	fuzzy, when she wants to easily leave a trace she wants to later return
	148	working at this entry.
	149
	150	</P>
	151	<P>
	152	Also, when time comes to quit working on a PO file buffer with the <KBD>q</KBD>
	153	command, the translator is asked for confirmation, if fuzzy string
	154	still exists.
	155
	156	</P>
	157
	158
	159	<H2><A NAME="SEC27" HREF="gettext_toc.html#TOC27">Untranslated Entries</A></H2>
	160
	161	<P>
	162	When <CODE>xgettext</CODE> originally creates a PO file, unless told
	163	otherwise, it initializes the <CODE>msgid</CODE> field with the untranslated
	164	string, and leaves the <CODE>msgstr</CODE> string to be empty. Such entries,
	165	having an empty translation, are said to be <STRONG>untranslated</STRONG> entries.
	166	Later, when the programmer slightly modifies some string right in
	167	the program, this change is later reflected in the PO file
	168	by the appearance of a new untranslated entry for the modified string.
	169
	170	</P>
	171	<P>
	172	The usual commands moving from entry to entry consider untranslated
	173	entries on the same level as active entries. Untranslated entries
	174	are easily recognizable by the fact they end with <SAMP>`msgstr ""'</SAMP>.
	175
	176	</P>
	177	<P>
	178	The work of the translator might be (quite naively) seen as the process
	179	of seeking after an untranslated entry, editing a translation for
	180	it, and repeating these actions until no untranslated entries remain.
	181	Some commands are more specifically related to untranslated entry
	182	processing.
	183
	184	</P>
	185	<DL COMPACT>
	186
	187	<DT><KBD>u</KBD>
	188	<DD>
	189	Find the next untranslated entry.
	190
	191	<DT><KBD>M-u</KBD>
	192	<DD>
	193	Find the previous untranslated entry.
	194
	195	<DT><KBD>k</KBD>
	196	<DD>
	197	Turn the current entry into an untranslated one.
	198
	199	</DL>
	200
	201	<P>
	202	The commands <KBD>u</KBD> (<CODE>po-next-untranslated-entry</CODE>) and <KBD>M-u</KBD>
	203	(<CODE>po-previous-untransted-entry</CODE>) move forwards or backwards,
	204	chasing for an untranslated entry. If none is found, the search is
	205	extended and wraps around in the PO file buffer.
	206
	207	</P>
	208	<P>
	209	An entry can be turned back into an untranslated entry by
	210	merely emptying its translation, using the command <KBD>k</KBD>
	211	(<CODE>po-kill-msgstr</CODE>). See section <A HREF="gettext_5.html#SEC29">Modifying Translations</A>.
	212
	213	</P>
	214	<P>
	215	Also, when time comes to quit working on a PO file buffer
	216	with the <KBD>q</KBD> command, the translator is asked for confirmation,
	217	if some untranslated string still exists.
	218
	219	</P>
	220
	221
	222	<H2><A NAME="SEC28" HREF="gettext_toc.html#TOC28">Obsolete Entries</A></H2>
	223
	224	<P>
	225	By <STRONG>obsolete</STRONG> PO file entries, we mean those entries which are
	226	commented out, usually by <CODE>msgmerge</CODE> when it found that the
	227	translation is not needed anymore by the package being localized.
	228
	229	</P>
	230	<P>
	231	The usual commands moving from entry to entry consider obsolete
	232	entries on the same level as active entries. Obsolete entries are
	233	easily recognizable by the fact that all their lines start with
	234	<KBD>#</KBD>, even those lines containing <CODE>msgid</CODE> or <CODE>msgstr</CODE>.
	235
	236	</P>
	237	<P>
	238	Commands exist for emptying the translation or reinitializing it
	239	to the original untranslated string. Commands interfacing with the
	240	kill ring may force some previously saved text into the translation.
	241	The user may interactively edit the translation. All these commands
	242	may apply to obsolete entries, carefully leaving the entry obsolete
	243	after the fact.
	244
	245	</P>
	246	<P>
	247	Moreover, some commands are more specifically related to obsolete
	248	entry processing.
	249
	250	</P>
	251	<DL COMPACT>
	252
	253	<DT><KBD>o</KBD>
	254	<DD>
	255	Find the next obsolete entry.
	256
	257	<DT><KBD>M-o</KBD>
	258	<DD>
	259	Find the previous obsolete entry.
	260
	261	<DT><KBD>DEL</KBD>
	262	<DD>
	263	Make an active entry obsolete, or zap out an obsolete entry.
	264
	265	</DL>
	266
	267	<P>
	268	The commands <KBD>o</KBD> (<CODE>po-next-obsolete-entry</CODE>) and <KBD>M-o</KBD>
	269	(<CODE>po-previous-obsolete-entry</CODE>) move forwards or backwards,
	270	chasing for an obsolete entry. If none is found, the search is
	271	extended and wraps around in the PO file buffer.
	272
	273	</P>
	274	<P>
	275	PO mode does not provide ways for un-commenting an obsolete entry
	276	and making it active, because this would reintroduce an original
	277	untranslated string which does not correspond to any marked string
	278	in the program sources. This goes with the philosophy of never
	279	introducing useless <CODE>msgid</CODE> values.
	280
	281	</P>
	282	<P>
	283	However, it is possible to comment out an active entry, so making
	284	it obsolete. GNU <CODE>gettext</CODE> utilities will later react to the
	285	disappearance of a translation by using the untranslated string.
	286	The command <KBD>DEL</KBD> (<CODE>po-fade-out-entry</CODE>) pushes the current entry
	287	a little further towards annihilation. If the entry is active (it is a
	288	translated entry), then it is first made fuzzy. If it is already fuzzy,
	289	then the entry is merely commented out, with confirmation. If the entry
	290	is already obsolete, then it is completely deleted from the PO file.
	291	It is easy to recycle the translation so deleted into some other PO file
	292	entry, usually one which is untranslated. See section <A HREF="gettext_5.html#SEC29">Modifying Translations</A>.
	293
	294	</P>
	295	<P>
	296	Here is a quite interesting problem to solve for later development of
	297	PO mode, for those nights you are not sleepy. The idea would be that
	298	PO mode might become bright enough, one of these days, to make good
	299	guesses at retrieving the most probable candidate, among all obsolete
	300	entries, for initializing the translation of a newly appeared string.
	301	I think it might be a quite hard problem to do this algorithmically, as
	302	we have to develop good and efficient measures of string similarity.
	303	Right now, PO mode completely lets the decision to the translator,
	304	when the time comes to find the adequate obsolete translation, it
	305	merely tries to provide handy tools for helping her to do so.
	306
	307	</P>
	308
	309
	310	<H2><A NAME="SEC29" HREF="gettext_toc.html#TOC29">Modifying Translations</A></H2>
	311
	312	<P>
	313	PO mode prevents direct edition of the PO file, by the usual
	314	means Emacs give for altering a buffer's contents. By doing so,
	315	it pretends helping the translator to avoid little clerical errors
	316	about the overall file format, or the proper quoting of strings,
	317	as those errors would be easily made. Other kinds of errors are
	318	still possible, but some may be caught and diagnosed by the batch
	319	validation process, which the translator may always trigger by the
	320	<KBD>V</KBD> command. For all other errors, the translator has to rely on
	321	her own judgment, and also on the linguistic reports submitted to her
	322	by the users of the translated package, having the same mother tongue.
	323
	324	</P>
	325	<P>
	326	When the time comes to create a translation, correct an error diagnosed
	327	mechanically or reported by a user, the translators have to resort to
	328	using the following commands for modifying the translations.
	329
	330	</P>
	331	<DL COMPACT>
	332
	333	<DT><KBD>RET</KBD>
	334	<DD>
	335	Interactively edit the translation.
	336
	337	<DT><KBD>LFD</KBD>
	338	<DD>
	339	Reinitialize the translation with the original, untranslated string.
	340
	341	<DT><KBD>k</KBD>
	342	<DD>
	343	Save the translation on the kill ring, and delete it.
	344
	345	<DT><KBD>w</KBD>
	346	<DD>
	347	Save the translation on the kill ring, without deleting it.
	348
	349	<DT><KBD>y</KBD>
	350	<DD>
	351	Replace the translation, taking the new from the kill ring.
	352
	353	</DL>
	354
	355	<P>
	356	The command <KBD>RET</KBD> (<CODE>po-edit-msgstr</CODE>) opens a new Emacs window
	357	containing a copy of the translation taken from the current PO file entry,
	358	all ready for edition, fully modifiable and with the complete extent of
	359	GNU Emacs modifying commands. The string is presented to the translator
	360	expunged of all quoting marks, and she will modify the <EM>unquoted</EM>
	361	string in this window to heart's content. Once done, the regular Emacs
	362	command <KBD>M-C-c</KBD> (<CODE>exit-recursive-edit</CODE>) may be used to return the
	363	edited translation into the PO file, replacing the original translation.
	364	The keys <KBD>C-c C-c</KBD> are bound so they have the same effect as
	365	<KBD>M-C-c</KBD>.
	366
	367	</P>
	368	<P>
	369	If the translator becomes unsatisfied with her translation to the extent
	370	she prefers keeping the translation which was existent prior to the
	371	<KBD>RET</KBD> command, she may use the standard Emacs command <KBD>C-]</KBD>
	372	(<CODE>abort-recursive-edit</CODE>) to merely get rid of edition, while
	373	preserving the original translation. The keys <KBD>C-c C-k</KBD> are
	374	bound so they have the same effect as <KBD>C-]</KBD>. Another way would
	375	be for her to exit normally with <KBD>C-c C-c</KBD>, then type <CODE>U</CODE>
	376	once for undoing the whole effect of last edition.
	377
	378	</P>
	379	<P>
	380	Functions found on <CODE>po-subedit-mode-hook</CODE>, if any, are executed after
	381	the string has been inserted in the edit buffer and before recursive edit
	382	is entered.
	383
	384	</P>
	385	<P>
	386	While editing her translation, the translator should pay attention to
	387	not inserting unwanted <KBD><KBD>RET</KBD></KBD> (carriage returns) characters at
	388	the end of the translated string if those are not meant to be there,
	389	or to removing such characters when they are required. Since these
	390	characters are not visible in the editing buffer, they are easily
	391	introduced by mistake. To help her, <KBD><KBD>RET</KBD></KBD> automatically puts
	392	the character <KBD><</KBD> at the end of the string being edited, but this
	393	<KBD><</KBD> is not really part of the string. On exiting the editing
	394	window with <KBD>C-c C-c</KBD>, PO mode automatically removes such
	395	<KBD><</KBD> and all whitespace added after it. If the translator adds
	396	characters after the terminating <KBD><</KBD>, it looses its delimiting
	397	property and integrally becomes part of the string. If she removes
	398	the delimiting <KBD><</KBD>, then the edited string is taken <EM>as
	399	is</EM>, with all trailing newlines, even if invisible. Also, if the
	400	translated string ought to end itself with a genuine <KBD><</KBD>, then the
	401	delimiting <KBD><</KBD> may not be removed; so the string should appear,
	402	in the editing window, as ending with two <KBD><</KBD> in a row.
	403
	404	</P>
	405	<P>
	406	When a translation (or a comment) is being edited, the translator
	407	may move the cursor back into the PO file buffer and freely
	408	move to other entries, browsing at will. The edited entry will
	409	be recovered as soon as the edit ceases, because it is this entry
	410	only which is being modified. If, with an edition still opened, the
	411	translator wanders in the PO file buffer, she cannot modify
	412	any other entry. If she tries to, PO mode will react by suggesting
	413	that she abort the current edit, or else, by inviting her to finish
	414	the current edit prior to any other modification.
	415
	416	</P>
	417	<P>
	418	The command <KBD>LFD</KBD> (<CODE>po-msgid-to-msgstr</CODE>) initializes, or
	419	reinitializes the translation with the original string. This command
	420	is normally used when the translator wants to redo a fresh translation
	421	of the original string, disregarding any previous work.
	422
	423	</P>
	424	<P>
	425	It is possible to arrange so, whenever editing an untranslated
	426	entry, the <KBD>LFD</KBD> command be automatically executed. If you set
	427	<CODE>po-auto-edit-with-msgid</CODE> to <CODE>t</CODE>, the translation gets
	428	initialised with the original string, in case none exist already.
	429	The default value for <CODE>po-auto-edit-with-msgid</CODE> is <CODE>nil</CODE>.
	430
	431	</P>
	432	<P>
	433	In fact, whether it is best to start a translation with an empty
	434	string, or rather with a copy of the original string, is a matter of
	435	taste or habit. Sometimes, the source language and the
	436	target language are so different that is simply best to start writing
	437	on an empty page. At other times, the source and target languages
	438	are so close that it would be a waste to retype a number of words
	439	already being written in the original string. A translator may also
	440	like having the original string right under her eyes, as she will
	441	progressively overwrite the original text with the translation, even
	442	if this requires some extra editing work to get rid of the original.
	443
	444	</P>
	445	<P>
	446	The command <KBD>k</KBD> (<CODE>po-kill-msgstr</CODE>) merely empties the
	447	translation string, so turning the entry into an untranslated
	448	one. But while doing so, its previous contents is put apart in
	449	a special place, known as the kill ring. The command <KBD>w</KBD>
	450	(<CODE>po-kill-ring-save-msgstr</CODE>) has also the effect of taking a
	451	copy of the translation onto the kill ring, but it otherwise leaves
	452	the entry alone, and does <EM>not</EM> remove the translation from the
	453	entry. Both commands use exactly the Emacs kill ring, which is shared
	454	between buffers, and which is well known already to GNU Emacs lovers.
	455
	456	</P>
	457	<P>
	458	The translator may use <KBD>k</KBD> or <KBD>w</KBD> many times in the course
	459	of her work, as the kill ring may hold several saved translations.
	460	From the kill ring, strings may later be reinserted in various
	461	Emacs buffers. In particular, the kill ring may be used for moving
	462	translation strings between different entries of a single PO file
	463	buffer, or if the translator is handling many such buffers at once,
	464	even between PO files.
	465
	466	</P>
	467	<P>
	468	To facilitate exchanges with buffers which are not in PO mode, the
	469	translation string put on the kill ring by the <KBD>k</KBD> command is fully
	470	unquoted before being saved: external quotes are removed, multi-lines
	471	strings are concatenated, and backslashed escaped sequences are turned
	472	into their corresponding characters. In the special case of obsolete
	473	entries, the translation is also uncommented prior to saving.
	474
	475	</P>
	476	<P>
	477	The command <KBD>y</KBD> (<CODE>po-yank-msgstr</CODE>) completely replaces the
	478	translation of the current entry by a string taken from the kill ring.
	479	Following GNU Emacs terminology, we then say that the replacement
	480	string is <STRONG>yanked</STRONG> into the PO file buffer.
	481	See section `Yanking' in <CITE>The Emacs Editor</CITE>.
	482	The first time <KBD>y</KBD> is used, the translation receives the value of
	483	the most recent addition to the kill ring. If <KBD>y</KBD> is typed once
	484	again, immediately, without intervening keystrokes, the translation
	485	just inserted is taken away and replaced by the second most recent
	486	addition to the kill ring. By repeating <KBD>y</KBD> many times in a row,
	487	the translator may travel along the kill ring for saved strings,
	488	until she finds the string she really wanted.
	489
	490	</P>
	491	<P>
	492	When a string is yanked into a PO file entry, it is fully and
	493	automatically requoted for complying with the format PO files should
	494	have. Further, if the entry is obsolete, PO mode then appropriately
	495	push the inserted string inside comments. Once again, translators
	496	should not burden themselves with quoting considerations besides, of
	497	course, the necessity of the translated string itself respective to
	498	the program using it.
	499
	500	</P>
	501	<P>
	502	Note that <KBD>k</KBD> or <KBD>w</KBD> are not the only commands pushing strings
	503	on the kill ring, as almost any PO mode command replacing translation
	504	strings (or the translator comments) automatically save the old string
	505	on the kill ring. The main exceptions to this general rule are the
	506	yanking commands themselves.
	507
	508	</P>
	509	<P>
	510	To better illustrate the operation of killing and yanking, let's
	511	use an actual example, taken from a common situation. When the
	512	programmer slightly modifies some string right in the program, his
	513	change is later reflected in the PO file by the appearance
	514	of a new untranslated entry for the modified string, and the fact
	515	that the entry translating the original or unmodified string becomes
	516	obsolete. In many cases, the translator might spare herself some work
	517	by retrieving the unmodified translation from the obsolete entry,
	518	then initializing the untranslated entry <CODE>msgstr</CODE> field with
	519	this retrieved translation. Once this done, the obsolete entry is
	520	not wanted anymore, and may be safely deleted.
	521
	522	</P>
	523	<P>
	524	When the translator finds an untranslated entry and suspects that a
	525	slight variant of the translation exists, she immediately uses <KBD>m</KBD>
	526	to mark the current entry location, then starts chasing obsolete
	527	entries with <KBD>o</KBD>, hoping to find some translation corresponding
	528	to the unmodified string. Once found, she uses the <KBD>DEL</KBD> command
	529	for deleting the obsolete entry, knowing that <KBD>DEL</KBD> also <EM>kills</EM>
	530	the translation, that is, pushes the translation on the kill ring.
	531	Then, <KBD>r</KBD> returns to the initial untranslated entry, <KBD>y</KBD>
	532	then <EM>yanks</EM> the saved translation right into the <CODE>msgstr</CODE>
	533	field. The translator is then free to use <KBD><KBD>RET</KBD></KBD> for fine
	534	tuning the translation contents, and maybe to later use <KBD>u</KBD>,
	535	then <KBD>m</KBD> again, for going on with the next untranslated string.
	536
	537	</P>
	538	<P>
	539	When some sequence of keys has to be typed over and over again, the
	540	translator may find it useful to become better acquainted with the GNU
	541	Emacs capability of learning these sequences and playing them back under
	542	request. See section `Keyboard Macros' in <CITE>The Emacs Editor</CITE>.
	543
	544	</P>
	545
	546
	547	<H2><A NAME="SEC30" HREF="gettext_toc.html#TOC30">Modifying Comments</A></H2>
	548
	549	<P>
	550	Any translation work done seriously will raise many linguistic
	551	difficulties, for which decisions have to be made, and the choices
	552	further documented. These documents may be saved within the
	553	PO file in form of translator comments, which the translator
	554	is free to create, delete, or modify at will. These comments may
	555	be useful to herself when she returns to this PO file after a while.
	556
	557	</P>
	558	<P>
	559	Comments not having whitespace after the initial <SAMP>`#'</SAMP>, for example,
	560	those beginning with <SAMP>`#.'</SAMP> or <SAMP>`#:'</SAMP>, are <EM>not</EM> translator
	561	comments, they are exclusively created by other <CODE>gettext</CODE> tools.
	562	So, the commands below will never alter such system added comments,
	563	they are not meant for the translator to modify. See section <A HREF="gettext_2.html#SEC9">The Format of PO Files</A>.
	564
	565	</P>
	566	<P>
	567	The following commands are somewhat similar to those modifying translations,
	568	so the general indications given for those apply here. See section <A HREF="gettext_5.html#SEC29">Modifying Translations</A>.
	569
	570	</P>
	571	<DL COMPACT>
	572
	573	<DT><KBD>#</KBD>
	574	<DD>
	575	Interactively edit the translator comments.
	576
	577	<DT><KBD>K</KBD>
	578	<DD>
	579	Save the translator comments on the kill ring, and delete it.
	580
	581	<DT><KBD>W</KBD>
	582	<DD>
	583	Save the translator comments on the kill ring, without deleting it.
	584
	585	<DT><KBD>Y</KBD>
	586	<DD>
	587	Replace the translator comments, taking the new from the kill ring.
	588
	589	</DL>
	590
	591	<P>
	592	These commands parallel PO mode commands for modifying the translation
	593	strings, and behave much the same way as they do, except that they handle
	594	this part of PO file comments meant for translator usage, rather
	595	than the translation strings. So, if the descriptions given below are
	596	slightly succinct, it is because the full details have already been given.
	597	See section <A HREF="gettext_5.html#SEC29">Modifying Translations</A>.
	598
	599	</P>
	600	<P>
	601	The command <KBD>#</KBD> (<CODE>po-edit-comment</CODE>) opens a new Emacs
	602	window containing a copy of the translator comments on the current
	603	PO file entry. If there are no such comments, PO mode
	604	understands that the translator wants to add a comment to the entry,
	605	and she is presented with an empty screen. Comment marks (<KBD>#</KBD>) and
	606	the space following them are automatically removed before edition,
	607	and reinstated after. For translator comments pertaining to obsolete
	608	entries, the uncommenting and recommenting operations are done twice.
	609	Once in the editing window, the keys <KBD>C-c C-c</KBD> allow the
	610	translator to tell she is finished with editing the comment.
	611
	612	</P>
	613	<P>
	614	Functions found on <CODE>po-subedit-mode-hook</CODE>, if any, are executed after
	615	the string has been inserted in the edit buffer and before recursive edit
	616	is entered.
	617
	618	</P>
	619	<P>
	620	The command <KBD>K</KBD> (<CODE>po-kill-comment</CODE>) get rid of all
	621	translator comments, while saving those comments on the kill ring.
	622	The command <KBD>W</KBD> (<CODE>po-kill-ring-save-comment</CODE>) takes
	623	a copy of the translator comments on the kill ring, but leaves
	624	them undisturbed in the current entry. The command <KBD>Y</KBD>
	625	(<CODE>po-yank-comment</CODE>) completely replaces the translator comments
	626	by a string taken at the front of the kill ring. When this command
	627	is immediately repeated, the comments just inserted are withdrawn,
	628	and replaced by other strings taken along the kill ring.
	629
	630	</P>
	631	<P>
	632	On the kill ring, all strings have the same nature. There is no
	633	distinction between <EM>translation</EM> strings and <EM>translator
	634	comments</EM> strings. So, for example, let's presume the translator
	635	has just finished editing a translation, and wants to create a new
	636	translator comment to document why the previous translation was
	637	not good, just to remember what was the problem. Foreseeing that she
	638	will do that in her documentation, the translator may want to quote
	639	the previous translation in her translator comments. To do so, she
	640	may initialize the translator comments with the previous translation,
	641	still at the head of the kill ring. Because editing already pushed the
	642	previous translation on the kill ring, she merely has to type <KBD>M-w</KBD>
	643	prior to <KBD>#</KBD>, and the previous translation will be right there,
	644	all ready for being introduced by some explanatory text.
	645
	646	</P>
	647	<P>
	648	On the other hand, presume there are some translator comments already
	649	and that the translator wants to add to those comments, instead
	650	of wholly replacing them. Then, she should edit the comment right
	651	away with <KBD>#</KBD>. Once inside the editing window, she can use the
	652	regular GNU Emacs commands <KBD>C-y</KBD> (<CODE>yank</CODE>) and <KBD>M-y</KBD>
	653	(<CODE>yank-pop</CODE>) to get the previous translation where she likes.
	654
	655	</P>
	656
	657
	658	<H2><A NAME="SEC31" HREF="gettext_toc.html#TOC31">Consulting Auxiliary PO Files</A></H2>
	659
	660	<P>
	661	PO mode is able to help the knowledgeable translator, being fluent in
	662	many languages, at taking advantage of translations already achieved
	663	in other languages she just happens to know. It provides these other
	664	language translations as additional context for her own work. Moreover,
	665	it has features to ease the production of translations for many languages
	666	at once, for translators preferring to work in this way.
	667
	668	</P>
	669	<P>
	670	An <STRONG>auxiliary</STRONG> PO file is an existing PO file meant for the same
	671	package the translator is working on, but targeted to a different mother
	672	tongue language. Commands exist for declaring and handling auxiliary
	673	PO files, and also for showing contexts for the entry under work.
	674
	675	</P>
	676	<P>
	677	Here are the auxiliary file commands available in PO mode.
	678
	679	</P>
	680	<DL COMPACT>
	681
	682	<DT><KBD>a</KBD>
	683	<DD>
	684	Seek auxiliary files for another translation for the same entry.
	685
	686	<DT><KBD>M-a</KBD>
	687	<DD>
	688	Switch to a particular auxiliary file.
	689
	690	<DT><KBD>A</KBD>
	691	<DD>
	692	Declare this PO file as an auxiliary file.
	693
	694	<DT><KBD>M-A</KBD>
	695	<DD>
	696	Remove this PO file from the list of auxiliary files.
	697
	698	</DL>
	699
	700	<P>
	701	Command <KBD>A</KBD> (<CODE>po-consider-as-auxiliary</CODE>) adds the current
	702	PO file to the list of auxiliary files, while command <KBD>M-A</KBD>
	703	(<CODE>po-ignore-as-auxiliary</CODE> just removes it.
	704
	705	</P>
	706	<P>
	707	The command <KBD>a</KBD> (<CODE>po-cycle-auxiliary</CODE>) seeks all auxiliary PO
	708	files, round-robin, searching for a translated entry in some other language
	709	having an <CODE>msgid</CODE> field identical as the one for the current entry.
	710	The found PO file, if any, takes the place of the current PO file in
	711	the display (its window gets on top). Before doing so, the current PO
	712	file is also made into an auxiliary file, if not already. So, <KBD>a</KBD>
	713	in this newly displayed PO file will seek another PO file, and so on,
	714	so repeating <KBD>a</KBD> will eventually yield back the original PO file.
	715
	716	</P>
	717	<P>
	718	The command <KBD>M-a</KBD> (<CODE>po-select-auxiliary</CODE>) asks the translator
	719	for her choice of a particular auxiliary file, with completion, and
	720	then switches to that selected PO file. The command also checks if
	721	the selected file has an <CODE>msgid</CODE> field identical as the one for
	722	the current entry, and if yes, this entry becomes current. Otherwise,
	723	the cursor of the selected file is left undisturbed.
	724
	725	</P>
	726	<P>
	727	For all this to work fully, auxiliary PO files will have to be normalized,
	728	in that way that <CODE>msgid</CODE> fields should be written <EM>exactly</EM>
	729	the same way. It is possible to write <CODE>msgid</CODE> fields in various
	730	ways for representing the same string, different writing would break the
	731	proper behaviour of the auxiliary file commands of PO mode. This is not
	732	expected to be much a problem in practice, as most existing PO files have
	733	their <CODE>msgid</CODE> entries written by the same GNU <CODE>gettext</CODE> tools.
	734
	735	</P>
	736	<P>
	737	However, PO files initially created by PO mode itself, while marking
	738	strings in source files, are normalised differently. So are PO
	739	files resulting of the the <SAMP>`M-x normalize'</SAMP> command. Until these
	740	discrepancies between PO mode and other GNU <CODE>gettext</CODE> tools get
	741	fully resolved, the translator should stay aware of normalisation issues.
	742
	743	</P>
	744	<P><HR><P>
	745	<p>Go to the <A HREF="gettext_1.html">first</A>, <A HREF="gettext_4.html">previous</A>, <A HREF="gettext_6.html">next</A>, <A HREF="gettext_12.html">last</A> section, <A HREF="gettext_toc.html">table of contents</A>.
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