Re: [PATCH] version-etc.c: Do not include URLS in translatable strings.

[Bruno Haible]

Hi John,

> This method is better for several reasons:  1. It avoids the danger of
> cut and paste errors.  2. Naive translators can't translate the urls
> (it's amazing how many do things like that!) 3. Should the urls ever
> change, only this file has to be updated rather than every single
> translation.
> 
> * lib/version-etc.c: Take URLS out of translatable strings.

Good suggestion. I've added it to the GNU gettext manual:
https://git.savannah.gnu.org/gitweb/?p=gettext.git;a=commitdiff;h=22456ebdad40b188bf03b02ec5c58796f16838d5

> +  printf (_("%s home page: <%s/%s/>\n"), PACKAGE_NAME,
> +       "https://www.gnu.org/software";, PACKAGE);

Taking your argument further: The shape of the URL can change, it's
not necessarily of the form "%s/%s/". So move that logic out of the
translatable string as well.

And formatting newlines also can be moved out of the translatable string.

I'm thus committing this:


2019-05-11  John Darrington  <address@hidden>
            Bruno Haible  <address@hidden>

        version-etc: Ease translation.
        * lib/version-etc.c (version_etc_arn, emit_bug_reporting_address): Move
        URLs and formatting newlines out of translatable string.

diff --git a/lib/version-etc.c b/lib/version-etc.c
index 9ca9a56..f6b26ef 100644
--- a/lib/version-etc.c
+++ b/lib/version-etc.c
@@ -82,14 +82,17 @@ version_etc_arn (FILE *stream,
      locale.  Otherwise, do not translate "(C)"; leave it as-is.  */
   fprintf (stream, version_etc_copyright, _("(C)"), COPYRIGHT_YEAR);
 
-  fputs (_("\
-\n\
-License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later 
<https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.\n\
+  fputs ("\n", stream);
+
+  /* TRANSLATORS: The %s placeholder is the web address of the GPL license.  */
+  fprintf (stream, _("\
+License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <%s>.\n\
 This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.\n\
 There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.\n\
-\n\
 "),
-         stream);
+           "https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html";);
+
+  fputs ("\n", stream);
 
   switch (n_authors)
     {
@@ -238,11 +241,12 @@ version_etc (FILE *stream,
 void
 emit_bug_reporting_address (void)
 {
+  fputs ("\n", stdout);
   /* TRANSLATORS: The placeholder indicates the bug-reporting address
      for this package.  Please add _another line_ saying
      "Report translation bugs to <...>\n" with the address for translation
      bugs (typically your translation team's web or email address).  */
-  printf (_("\nReport bugs to: %s\n"), PACKAGE_BUGREPORT);
+  printf (_("Report bugs to: %s\n"), PACKAGE_BUGREPORT);
 #ifdef PACKAGE_PACKAGER_BUG_REPORTS
   printf (_("Report %s bugs to: %s\n"), PACKAGE_PACKAGER,
           PACKAGE_PACKAGER_BUG_REPORTS);
@@ -250,9 +254,9 @@ emit_bug_reporting_address (void)
 #ifdef PACKAGE_URL
   printf (_("%s home page: <%s>\n"), PACKAGE_NAME, PACKAGE_URL);
 #else
-  printf (_("%s home page: <https://www.gnu.org/software/%s/>\n"),
-          PACKAGE_NAME, PACKAGE);
+  printf (_("%s home page: <%s>\n"),
+          PACKAGE_NAME, "https://www.gnu.org/software/"; PACKAGE "/");
 #endif
-  fputs (_("General help using GNU software: 
<https://www.gnu.org/gethelp/>\n"),
-         stdout);
+  printf (_("General help using GNU software: <%s>\n"),
+          "https://www.gnu.org/gethelp/";);
 }