Re: i18n problems in texinfo

[Christian Rose]

lör 2001-12-22 klockan 16.33 skrev Eli Zaretskii:
> > > BUG 2
> > > -----
> > > info/infodoc.c:45
> > > 
> > >   N_("Basic Commands in Info Windows\n"),
> > >   N_("******************************\n"),
> > > 
> > > These messages are highly dependant on each other and belong with each
> > > other, since the length of the second one has to exactly match the first
> > > one. Thus it makes no sense to mark them for separate translation. If
> > > they are translated seperately, they will most likely not match each
> > > other's length.
> > > Here is my suggestion:
> > > 
> > >   N_("Basic Commands in Info Windows\n"
> > >      "******************************\n"),
> [snip]
> > Now, this appears to have been changed into:
> > 
> > #: info/infodoc.c:47
> > msgid ""
> > "Basic Commands in Info Windows\n"
> > "******************************\n"
> > "\n"
> > "  \\%-10[quit-help]  Quit this help.\n"
> > "  \\%-10[quit]  Quit Info altogether.\n"
> > "  \\%-10[get-info-help-node]  Invoke the Info tutorial.\n"
> > [...]
> > In other words, one giant message blurb. This is not what I suggested,
> > this is ten times worse than the original problems I mentioned, and
> > entirely unmaintainable translation-wise. Please consider going back to
> > the previous design, with the specific changes I mentioned.
> 
> Sorry for as late response, I have only now looked into this issue
> closer.
> 
> Could you please explain why did you need to translate those strings
> at all?  The N_ macro doesn't invoke gettext, it evaluates to its
> argument unchanged.  In other words, those strings are not supposed
> to be translated at all.
> 
> Karl, is that true or am I missing something?

These strings have nevertheless been picked up by xgettext and placed in
the pot file for translators to translate.


Christian