Re: binutils-2.21.53 bugs

[Nick Clifton]

Hi Tristan,

> I think that currently we always use i18n macro _("xx") for all our strings - 
> or we are supposed to.
> As you have noticed, this is sometimes useless, particularly when the string is 
> not subject to
> translation.
>
> Maintainers, must we not use _() macro for non-translatable string ?
>
> I don't know if there was such a rule, but this is not clear at least to me.

Actually there is a rule, or at least a guidance:

http://www.gnu.org/prep/standards/standards.html#Internationalization

  Using GNU gettext involves putting a call to the
  gettext macro around each string that might need
  translation—like this:

  printf (gettext ("Processing file `%s'..."));

Ie, "gettext()" or its abbreviation "_()" should only be used for 
strings that might need translation.  Where translation is unnecessary, 
it should not be used.

Cheers
  Nick