diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'doc/nls.texi')
| -rw-r--r-- | doc/nls.texi | 37 |
1 files changed, 11 insertions, 26 deletions
diff --git a/doc/nls.texi b/doc/nls.texi index 7c169bc..e3c18c3 100644 --- a/doc/nls.texi +++ b/doc/nls.texi @@ -48,7 +48,8 @@ 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 @code{gettext} implementation in the GNU C library version 2 -provides as many features (such as locale alias or message inheritance) +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 @code{catgets} implementation. Future versions of GNU @code{gettext} will very likely convey even more @@ -69,9 +70,8 @@ Most such packages use GNU @code{gettext}. Other packages have their own ways to internationalization, predating GNU @code{gettext}. By default, this package will be installed to allow translation of -messages. It will automatically detect whether the system provides -usable @code{catgets} (if using this is selected by the installer) or -@code{gettext} functions. If neither is available, the GNU +messages. It will automatically detect whether the system already +provides the GNU @code{gettext} functions. If not, the GNU @code{gettext} own library will be used. This library is wholly contained within this package, usually in the @file{intl/} subdirectory, so prior installation of the GNU @code{gettext} package is @emph{not} @@ -80,16 +80,13 @@ changing the default behaviour. The commands: @example ./configure --with-included-gettext -./configure --with-catgets ./configure --disable-nls @end example @noindent -will respectively bypass any pre-existing @code{catgets} or -@code{gettext} to use the internationalizing routines provided within -this package, enable the use of the @code{catgets} functions (if found -on the locale system), or else, @emph{totally} disable translation of -messages. +will respectively bypass any pre-existing @code{gettext} to use the +internationalizing routines provided within this package, or else, +@emph{totally} disable translation of messages. When you already have GNU @code{gettext} installed on your system and run configure without an option for your new package, @code{configure} @@ -106,22 +103,10 @@ which comes with this package is more recent, you should use @noindent to prevent auto-detection. -By default the configuration process will not test for the -@code{catgets} function and therefore they will not be used. The -reasons are already given above: the emulation on top of @code{catgets} -cannot provide all the extensions provided by the GNU @code{gettext} -library. If you nevertheless want to use the @code{catgets} functions -use - -@example -./configure --with-catgets -@end example - -@noindent -to enable the test for @code{catgets} (this causes no harm if -@code{catgets} is not available on your system). If you really select -this option we would like to hear about the reasons because we cannot -think of any good one ourself. +The configuration process will not test for the @code{catgets} function +and therefore it will not be used. The reason is that even an +emulation of @code{gettext} on top of @code{catgets} could not provide +all the extensions of the GNU @code{gettext} library. Internationalized packages have usually many @file{po/@var{ll}.po} files, where @var{ll} gives an @w{ISO 639} two-letter code |