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diff --git a/ABOUT-NLS b/ABOUT-NLS new file mode 100644 index 00000000..75f8a27f --- /dev/null +++ b/ABOUT-NLS @@ -0,0 +1,226 @@ +Notes on the GNU Translation Project +************************************ + + GNU is going international! The GNU Translation Project is a way to +get maintainers, translators, and users all together, so that GNU 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 GNU 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. + +One advise in advance +===================== + + 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, no +prior implementation provides as many useful features (such as locale +alias or message inheritance). 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. + +INSTALL Matters +=============== + + Some GNU 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 provides +usable `catgets' (if using this is selected by the installer) or +`gettext' functions. If neither is available, 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 --with-catgets + ./configure --disable-nls + +will respectively bypass any pre-existing `catgets' or `gettext' to use +the internationalizing routines provided within this package, enable +the use of the `catgets' functions (if found on the locale system), 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. + + By default the configuration process will not test for the `catgets' +function and therefore they will not be used. The reasons are already +given above: the emulation on top of `catgets' cannot provide all the +extensions provided by the GNU `gettext' library. If you nevertheless +want to use the `catgets' functions use + + ./configure --with-catgets + +to enable the test for `catgets' (this causes no harm if `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 `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 +ISO 639 `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 `setenv LANG de' (in `csh'), +`export LANG; LANG=de' (in `sh') or `export LANG=de' (in `bash'). This +can be done from your `.login' or `.profile' file, once and for all. + + An operating system might already offer message localization for +many of its programs, while other programs (whether GNU or not) have +been installed locally with the full capabilities of GNU `gettext'. +Just using `gettext' extended syntax for `LANG' would break proper +localization of already available operating system programs. In this +case, users should set both `LANGUAGE' and `LANG' variables in their +environment, as programs using GNU `gettext' give preference to +`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 `LANGUAGE' to `sv:de' while +leaving `LANG' to `sv'. + +Translating Teams +================= + + For the GNU 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, courtesy of Linux +International. You may reach your translation team at the address +`LL@li.org', replacing LL by the two-letter ISO 639 code for your +language. Language codes are *not* the same as the country codes given +in ISO 3166. The following translation teams exist, as of February +1997: + + Arabic `ar', Chinese `zh', Czech `cs', Danish `da', Dutch `nl', + English `en', Esperanto `eo', Finnish `fi', French `fr', German + `de', Greek `el', Hebrew `he', Hungarian `hu', Irish `ga', Italian + `it', Indonesian `id', Japanese `ja', Korean `ko', Latin `la', + Norwegian `no', Persian `fa', Polish `pl', Portuguese `pt', + Russian `ru', Slovenian `sl', Spanish `es', Swedish `sv', Telugu + `te', Turkish `tr' and Ukrainian `uk'. + +For example, you may reach the Chinese translation team by writing to +`zh@li.org'. + + 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 `gnu-translation@gnu.ai.mit.edu' to reach +the GNU coordinator for all translator teams. + + The English team is special. It works at improving and uniformizing +the terminology used in GNU. Proven linguistic skill are praised more +than programming skill, here. For the time being, please avoid +subscribing to the English team unless explicitly invited to do so. + +Available Packages +================== + + Languages are not equally supported in all GNU packages. The +following matrix shows the current state of GNU internationalization, +as of February 1997. The matrix shows, in regard of each package, for +which languages PO files have been submitted to translation +coordination. + + Ready PO files cs de en es fi fr ja ko nl no pl pt sl sv + .-------------------------------------------. + bash | [] [] [] | 3 + bison | [] [] [] | 3 + clisp | [] [] [] | 3 + cpio | [] [] [] [] [] | 5 + diffutils | [] [] [] [] | 4 + enscript | [] [] [] [] [] | 5 + fileutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 8 + findutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 7 + flex | [] [] [] | 3 + gcal | [] [] [] | 3 + gettext | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 11 + grep | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 8 + hello | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 10 + id-utils | [] [] | 2 + indent | [] [] | 2 + libc | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 7 + m4 | [] [] [] [] [] | 5 + make | [] [] [] [] [] [] | 6 + music | [] | 1 + ptx | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 8 + recode | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 8 + sh-utils | [] [] [] [] [] | 5 + sharutils | [] [] [] [] [] | 5 + tar | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 9 + texinfo | | 0 + textutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] | 6 + wdiff | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 8 + `-------------------------------------------' + 14 languages cs de en es fi fr ja ko nl no pl pt sl sv + 27 packages 1 22 1 14 1 25 1 10 20 7 14 7 7 15 145 + + 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 +GNU distribution. + + If February 1997 seems to be old, you may fetch a more recent copy +of this `ABOUT-NLS' file on most GNU archive sites. + |