path: root/doc/nls.texi

@node Translation Intro
@chapter Notes on the Free Translation Project

@set STATUS July 2000

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 @file{ABOUT-NLS} file inside a distribution, you
may assume that the distributed package does use GNU @code{gettext}
internally, itself available at your nearest GNU archive site.  But you
do @emph{not} need to install GNU @code{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 @file{intl/} directory or bugs which may
be related to internationalization, you should tell about the version
of @code{gettext} which is used.  The information can be found in
the @file{intl/VERSION} file, in internationalized packages.

@menu
* Configuration advice::
* INSTALL Matters::
* Using This Package::
* Translating Teams::
* Available Packages::
* Using gettext in own code::
@end menu

@node Configuration advice
@section Quick configuration advice

If you want to exploit the full power of internationalization, you
should configure it using

@example
./configure --with-included-gettext
@end example

@noindent
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)
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
functionality.  So it might be a good idea to change to GNU
@code{gettext} as soon as possible.

So you need @emph{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 @file{libintl}.


@node INSTALL Matters
@section INSTALL Matters

Some packages are @dfn{localizable} when properly installed; the
programs they contain can be made to speak your own native language.
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
@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}
required.  Installers may use special options at configuration time for
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.

When you already have GNU @code{gettext} installed on your system and
run configure without an option for your new package, @code{configure}
will probably detect the previously built and installed @file{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 @code{gettext}
library.  I.e. if the file @file{intl/VERSION} shows that the library
which comes with this package is more recent, you should use

@example
./configure --with-included-gettext
@end example

@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.

Internationalized packages have usually many @file{po/@var{ll}.po}
files, where @var{ll} gives an @w{ISO 639} two-letter code
identifying the language.  Unless translations have been forbidden
at @code{configure} time by using the @samp{--disable-nls} switch,
all available translations are installed together with the package.
However, the environment variable @code{LINGUAS} may be set, prior
to configuration, to limit the installed set.  @code{LINGUAS} should
then contain a space separated list of two-letter codes, stating
which languages are allowed.

@node Using This Package
@section Using This Package

@c --
@c FIXME: rewrite to document LANGUAGE, the long names, and aliases.
@c --
As a user, if your language has been installed for this package, you
only have to set the @code{LANG} environment variable to the appropriate
@w{ISO 639} @samp{@var{ll}} two-letter code prior to using the programs
in the package.  For example, let's suppose that you speak German.  At
the shell prompt, merely execute @w{@samp{setenv LANG de}} (in
@code{csh}), @w{@samp{export LANG; LANG=de}} (in @code{sh}) or
@w{@samp{export LANG=de}} (in @code{bash}).  This can be done from your
@file{.login} or @file{.profile} file, once and for all.
@c Packages which are not internationalized will merely ignore the
@c setting of this variable.
@c FIXME: This last sentence is not true!! --drepper

An operating system might already offer message localization for many of
its programs, while other programs have been
installed locally with the full capabilities of GNU @code{gettext}.
Just using @code{gettext} extended syntax for @code{LANG} would break
proper localization of already available operating system programs.  In
this case, users should set both @code{LANGUAGE} and @code{LANG}
variables in their environment, as programs using GNU @code{gettext}
give preference to @code{LANGUAGE}.  For example, some Swedish users
would rather read translations in German than English for when Swedish
is not available.  This is easily accomplished by setting
@code{LANGUAGE} to @samp{sv:de} while leaving @code{LANG} to @samp{sv}.


@node Translating Teams
@section 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,
@file{http://www.iro.umontreal.ca/contrib/po/HTML/}, in the
"National teams" area.

If you'd like to volunteer to @emph{work} at translating messages, you
should become a member of the translating team for your own language.
The subscribing address is @emph{not} the same as the list itself, it
has @samp{-request} appended.  For example, speakers of Swedish can send
a message to @w{@file{sv-request@@li.org}}, having this message body:

@example
subscribe
@end example

Keep in mind that team members are expected to participate
@emph{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
@w{@file{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.

@node Available Packages
@section Available Packages

Languages are not equally supported in all packages.  The following
matrix shows the current state of internationalization, as of
@value{STATUS}.  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%.

@include matrix.texi

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 @value{STATUS} seems to be old, you may fetch a more recent copy
of this @file{ABOUT-NLS} file on most GNU archive sites.  The most
up-to-date matrix with full percentage details can be found at
@file{http://www.iro.umontreal.ca/contrib/po/HTML/matrix.html}.


@node Using gettext in own code
@section Using @code{gettext} in new packages

If you are writing a freely available program and want to
internationalize it you are welcome to use GNU @file{gettext} in your
package.  Of course the GNU Public License applies to your sources from
then if you include @code{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 @code{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
@w{@file{translation@@iro.umontreal.ca}} to make the @file{.pot} files
available to the translation teams.