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diff --git a/ABOUT-NLS b/ABOUT-NLS deleted file mode 100644 index 5fde45a..0000000 --- a/ABOUT-NLS +++ /dev/null @@ -1,324 +0,0 @@ -Notes on the Free Translation Project -************************************* - - 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 `ABOUT-NLS' file inside a 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. - -Quick configuration advice -========================== - - 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, only -the `gettext' implementation in the GNU C library version 2 provides as -many features (such as locale alias, message inheritance, automatic -charset conversion or plural form handling) as the implementation here. -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. - - So you need _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 `libintl'. - -INSTALL Matters -=============== - - Some 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 already -provides the GNU `gettext' functions. If not, 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 --disable-nls - -will respectively bypass any pre-existing `gettext' to use the -internationalizing routines provided within this package, 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. - - The configuration process will not test for the `catgets' function -and therefore it will not be used. The reason is that even an -emulation of `gettext' on top of `catgets' could not provide all the -extensions of the GNU `gettext' library. - - 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 -`LL_CC' combination. Here `LL' is an ISO 639 two-letter language code, -and `CC' is an ISO 3166 two-letter country code. For example, let's -suppose that you speak German and live in Germany. At the shell -prompt, merely execute `setenv LANG de_DE' (in `csh'), -`export LANG; LANG=de_DE' (in `sh') or `export LANG=de_DE' (in `bash'). -This can be done from your `.login' or `.profile' file, once and for -all. - - You might think that the country code specification is redundant. -But in fact, some languages have dialects in different countries. For -example, `de_AT' is used for Austria, and `pt_BR' for Brazil. The -country code serves to distinguish the dialects. - - Not all programs have translations for all languages. By default, an -English message is shown in place of a nonexistent translation. If you -understand other languages, you can set up a priority list of languages. -This is done through a different environment variable, called -`LANGUAGE'. GNU `gettext' gives preference to `LANGUAGE' over `LANG' -for the purpose of message handling, but you still need to have `LANG' -set to the primary language; this is required by other parts of the -system libraries. For example, some Swedish users who would rather -read translations in German than English for when Swedish is not -available, set `LANGUAGE' to `sv:de' while leaving `LANG' to `sv_SE'. - - In the `LANGUAGE' environment variable, but not in the `LANG' -environment variable, `LL_CC' combinations can be abbreviated as `LL' -to denote the language's main dialect. For example, `de' is equivalent -to `de_DE' (German as spoken in Germany), and `pt' to `pt_PT' -(Portuguese as spoken in Portugal) in this context. - -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, -`http://www.iro.umontreal.ca/contrib/po/HTML/', in the "National teams" -area. - - 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 `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. - -Available Packages -================== - - Languages are not equally supported in all packages. The following -matrix shows the current state of internationalization, as of September -2001. 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%. - - Ready PO files bg cs da de el en eo es et fi fr gl he hr id it ja - +----------------------------------------------------+ - a2ps | [] [] [] | - bash | [] [] [] [] | - bfd | | - binutils | [] | - bison | [] [] [] [] [] | - clisp | [] [] [] [] | - cpio | [] [] [] [] [] | - diffutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | - enscript | [] [] | - error | [] [] | - fetchmail | | - fileutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | - findutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | - flex | [] [] [] | - freetype | | - gas | | - gawk | [] [] | - gcal | | - gcc | | - gettext | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | - gnupg | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | - gprof | | - grep | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | - hello | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | - id-utils | [] [] [] | - indent | [] [] [] [] [] | - jpilot | [] | - kbd | | - ld | [] | - libc | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | - lilypond | [] | - lynx | [] [] [] [] | - m4 | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | - make | [] [] [] [] [] [] | - mysecretdiary | [] | - nano | [] [] [] | - opcodes | | - parted | [] [] [] | - ptx | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | - python | | - recode | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | - sed | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | - sh-utils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | - sharutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | - sketch | | - soundtracker | [] [] [] | - sp | | - tar | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | - texinfo | [] [] [] [] [] [] | - textutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | - util-linux | [] [] | - wdiff | [] [] [] | - wget | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | - +----------------------------------------------------+ - bg cs da de el en eo es et fi fr gl he hr id it ja - 0 14 24 32 11 1 8 23 13 1 33 22 4 0 7 9 18 - - ko lv nb nl nn no pl pt pt_BR ru sk sl sv tr uk zh - +----------------------------------------------------+ - a2ps | [] [] [] | 6 - bash | | 4 - bfd | | 0 - binutils | | 1 - bison | [] | 6 - clisp | [] | 5 - cpio | [] [] [] [] [] | 10 - diffutils | [] [] [] [] | 11 - enscript | [] [] [] | 5 - error | [] [] | 4 - fetchmail | | 0 - fileutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 17 - findutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 16 - flex | [] [] [] | 6 - freetype | | 0 - gas | | 0 - gawk | [] | 3 - gcal | | 0 - gcc | | 0 - gettext | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 18 - gnupg | [] [] [] | 10 - gprof | | 0 - grep | [] [] [] [] | 12 - hello | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 22 - id-utils | [] [] [] | 6 - indent | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 12 - jpilot | | 1 - kbd | [] | 1 - ld | | 1 - libc | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 16 - lilypond | [] [] | 3 - lynx | [] [] [] [] | 8 - m4 | [] [] [] [] | 12 - make | [] [] [] [] [] [] | 12 - mysecretdiary | | 1 - nano | [] | 4 - opcodes | [] | 1 - parted | [] [] | 5 - ptx | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 15 - python | | 0 - recode | [] [] [] [] | 13 - sed | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 19 - sh-utils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 21 - sharutils | [] [] [] | 11 - sketch | | 0 - soundtracker | | 3 - sp | | 0 - tar | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 15 - texinfo | [] | 7 - textutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 16 - util-linux | [] [] | 4 - wdiff | [] [] [] [] | 7 - wget | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 17 - +----------------------------------------------------+ - 33 teams ko lv nb nl nn no pl pt pt_BR ru sk sl sv tr uk zh - 53 domains 9 1 6 20 0 6 17 1 13 25 10 11 23 21 2 2 387 - - 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 September 2001 seems to be old, you may fetch a more recent copy -of this `ABOUT-NLS' file on most GNU archive sites. The most -up-to-date matrix with full percentage details can be found at -`http://www.iro.umontreal.ca/contrib/po/HTML/matrix.html'. - -Using `gettext' in new packages -=============================== - - If you are writing a freely available program and want to -internationalize it you are welcome to use GNU `gettext' in your -package. Of course you have to respect the GNU Library General Public -License which covers the use of the GNU `gettext' library. This means -in particular that even non-free programs can use `libintl' as a shared -library, whereas only free software can use `libintl' as a static -library or use modified versions of `libintl'. - - Once the sources are changed appropriately and the setup can handle -to use of `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 -`translation@iro.umontreal.ca' to make the `.pot' files available to -the translation teams. - |