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1 Notes on the Free Translation Project
2 *************************************
4 Free software is going international! The Free Translation Project
5 is a way to get maintainers of free software, translators, and users all
6 together, so that will gradually become able to speak many languages.
7 A few packages already provide translations for their messages.
9 If you found this `ABOUT-NLS' file inside a distribution, you may
10 assume that the distributed package does use GNU `gettext' internally,
11 itself available at your nearest GNU archive site. But you do _not_
12 need to install GNU `gettext' prior to configuring, installing or using
13 this package with messages translated.
15 Installers will find here some useful hints. These notes also
16 explain how users should proceed for getting the programs to use the
17 available translations. They tell how people wanting to contribute and
18 work at translations should contact the appropriate team.
20 When reporting bugs in the `intl/' directory or bugs which may be
21 related to internationalization, you should tell about the version of
22 `gettext' which is used. The information can be found in the
23 `intl/VERSION' file, in internationalized packages.
25 Quick configuration advice
26 ==========================
28 If you want to exploit the full power of internationalization, you
29 should configure it using
31 ./configure --with-included-gettext
33 to force usage of internationalizing routines provided within this
34 package, despite the existence of internationalizing capabilities in the
35 operating system where this package is being installed. So far, only
36 the `gettext' implementation in the GNU C library version 2 provides as
37 many features (such as locale alias, message inheritance, automatic
38 charset conversion or plural form handling) as the implementation here.
39 It is also not possible to offer this additional functionality on top
40 of a `catgets' implementation. Future versions of GNU `gettext' will
41 very likely convey even more functionality. So it might be a good idea
42 to change to GNU `gettext' as soon as possible.
44 So you need _not_ provide this option if you are using GNU libc 2 or
45 you have installed a recent copy of the GNU gettext package with the
46 included `libintl'.
48 INSTALL Matters
49 ===============
51 Some packages are "localizable" when properly installed; the
52 programs they contain can be made to speak your own native language.
53 Most such packages use GNU `gettext'. Other packages have their own
54 ways to internationalization, predating GNU `gettext'.
56 By default, this package will be installed to allow translation of
57 messages. It will automatically detect whether the system already
58 provides the GNU `gettext' functions. If not, the GNU `gettext' own
59 library will be used. This library is wholly contained within this
60 package, usually in the `intl/' subdirectory, so prior installation of
61 the GNU `gettext' package is _not_ required. Installers may use
62 special options at configuration time for changing the default
63 behaviour. The commands:
65 ./configure --with-included-gettext
66 ./configure --disable-nls
68 will respectively bypass any pre-existing `gettext' to use the
69 internationalizing routines provided within this package, or else,
70 _totally_ disable translation of messages.
72 When you already have GNU `gettext' installed on your system and run
73 configure without an option for your new package, `configure' will
74 probably detect the previously built and installed `libintl.a' file and
75 will decide to use this. This might be not what is desirable. You
76 should use the more recent version of the GNU `gettext' library. I.e.
77 if the file `intl/VERSION' shows that the library which comes with this
78 package is more recent, you should use
80 ./configure --with-included-gettext
82 to prevent auto-detection.
84 The configuration process will not test for the `catgets' function
85 and therefore it will not be used. The reason is that even an
86 emulation of `gettext' on top of `catgets' could not provide all the
87 extensions of the GNU `gettext' library.
89 Internationalized packages have usually many `po/LL.po' files, where
90 LL gives an ISO 639 two-letter code identifying the language. Unless
91 translations have been forbidden at `configure' time by using the
92 `--disable-nls' switch, all available translations are installed
93 together with the package. However, the environment variable `LINGUAS'
94 may be set, prior to configuration, to limit the installed set.
95 `LINGUAS' should then contain a space separated list of two-letter
96 codes, stating which languages are allowed.
98 Using This Package
99 ==================
101 As a user, if your language has been installed for this package, you
102 only have to set the `LANG' environment variable to the appropriate
103 `LL_CC' combination. Here `LL' is an ISO 639 two-letter language code,
104 and `CC' is an ISO 3166 two-letter country code. For example, let's
105 suppose that you speak German and live in Germany. At the shell
106 prompt, merely execute `setenv LANG de_DE' (in `csh'),
107 `export LANG; LANG=de_DE' (in `sh') or `export LANG=de_DE' (in `bash').
108 This can be done from your `.login' or `.profile' file, once and for
109 all.
111 You might think that the country code specification is redundant.
112 But in fact, some languages have dialects in different countries. For
113 example, `de_AT' is used for Austria, and `pt_BR' for Brazil. The
114 country code serves to distinguish the dialects.
116 Not all programs have translations for all languages. By default, an
117 English message is shown in place of a nonexistent translation. If you
118 understand other languages, you can set up a priority list of languages.
119 This is done through a different environment variable, called
120 `LANGUAGE'. GNU `gettext' gives preference to `LANGUAGE' over `LANG'
121 for the purpose of message handling, but you still need to have `LANG'
122 set to the primary language; this is required by other parts of the
123 system libraries. For example, some Swedish users who would rather
124 read translations in German than English for when Swedish is not
125 available, set `LANGUAGE' to `sv:de' while leaving `LANG' to `sv_SE'.
127 In the `LANGUAGE' environment variable, but not in the `LANG'
128 environment variable, `LL_CC' combinations can be abbreviated as `LL'
129 to denote the language's main dialect. For example, `de' is equivalent
130 to `de_DE' (German as spoken in Germany), and `pt' to `pt_PT'
131 (Portuguese as spoken in Portugal) in this context.
133 Translating Teams
134 =================
136 For the Free Translation Project to be a success, we need interested
137 people who like their own language and write it well, and who are also
138 able to synergize with other translators speaking the same language.
139 Each translation team has its own mailing list. The up-to-date list of
140 teams can be found at the Free Translation Project's homepage,
141 `http://www.iro.umontreal.ca/contrib/po/HTML/', in the "National teams"
142 area.
144 If you'd like to volunteer to _work_ at translating messages, you
145 should become a member of the translating team for your own language.
146 The subscribing address is _not_ the same as the list itself, it has
147 `-request' appended. For example, speakers of Swedish can send a
148 message to `sv-request@li.org', having this message body:
150 subscribe
152 Keep in mind that team members are expected to participate
153 _actively_ in translations, or at solving translational difficulties,
154 rather than merely lurking around. If your team does not exist yet and
155 you want to start one, or if you are unsure about what to do or how to
156 get started, please write to `translation@iro.umontreal.ca' to reach the
157 coordinator for all translator teams.
159 The English team is special. It works at improving and uniformizing
160 the terminology in use. Proven linguistic skill are praised more than
161 programming skill, here.
163 Available Packages
164 ==================
166 Languages are not equally supported in all packages. The following
167 matrix shows the current state of internationalization, as of September
168 2001. The matrix shows, in regard of each package, for which languages
169 PO files have been submitted to translation coordination, with a
170 translation percentage of at least 50%.
172 Ready PO files bg cs da de el en eo es et fi fr gl he hr id it ja
173 +----------------------------------------------------+
174 a2ps | [] [] [] |
175 bash | [] [] [] [] |
176 bfd | |
177 binutils | [] |
178 bison | [] [] [] [] [] |
179 clisp | [] [] [] [] |
180 cpio | [] [] [] [] [] |
181 diffutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] |
182 enscript | [] [] |
183 error | [] [] |
184 fetchmail | |
185 fileutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] |
186 findutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] |
187 flex | [] [] [] |
188 freetype | |
189 gas | |
190 gawk | [] [] |
191 gcal | |
192 gcc | |
193 gettext | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] |
194 gnupg | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] |
195 gprof | |
196 grep | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] |
197 hello | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] |
198 id-utils | [] [] [] |
199 indent | [] [] [] [] [] |
200 jpilot | [] |
201 kbd | |
202 ld | [] |
203 libc | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] |
204 lilypond | [] |
205 lynx | [] [] [] [] |
206 m4 | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] |
207 make | [] [] [] [] [] [] |
208 mysecretdiary | [] |
209 nano | [] [] [] |
210 opcodes | |
211 parted | [] [] [] |
212 ptx | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] |
213 python | |
214 recode | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] |
215 sed | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] |
216 sh-utils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] |
217 sharutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] |
218 sketch | |
219 soundtracker | [] [] [] |
220 sp | |
221 tar | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] |
222 texinfo | [] [] [] [] [] [] |
223 textutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] |
224 util-linux | [] [] |
225 wdiff | [] [] [] |
226 wget | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] |
227 +----------------------------------------------------+
228 bg cs da de el en eo es et fi fr gl he hr id it ja
229 0 14 24 32 11 1 8 23 13 1 33 22 4 0 7 9 18
231 ko lv nb nl nn no pl pt pt_BR ru sk sl sv tr uk zh
232 +----------------------------------------------------+
233 a2ps | [] [] [] | 6
234 bash | | 4
235 bfd | | 0
236 binutils | | 1
237 bison | [] | 6
238 clisp | [] | 5
239 cpio | [] [] [] [] [] | 10
240 diffutils | [] [] [] [] | 11
241 enscript | [] [] [] | 5
242 error | [] [] | 4
243 fetchmail | | 0
244 fileutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 17
245 findutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 16
246 flex | [] [] [] | 6
247 freetype | | 0
248 gas | | 0
249 gawk | [] | 3
250 gcal | | 0
251 gcc | | 0
252 gettext | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 18
253 gnupg | [] [] [] | 10
254 gprof | | 0
255 grep | [] [] [] [] | 12
256 hello | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 22
257 id-utils | [] [] [] | 6
258 indent | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 12
259 jpilot | | 1
260 kbd | [] | 1
261 ld | | 1
262 libc | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 16
263 lilypond | [] [] | 3
264 lynx | [] [] [] [] | 8
265 m4 | [] [] [] [] | 12
266 make | [] [] [] [] [] [] | 12
267 mysecretdiary | | 1
268 nano | [] | 4
269 opcodes | [] | 1
270 parted | [] [] | 5
271 ptx | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 15
272 python | | 0
273 recode | [] [] [] [] | 13
274 sed | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 19
275 sh-utils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 21
276 sharutils | [] [] [] | 11
277 sketch | | 0
278 soundtracker | | 3
279 sp | | 0
280 tar | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 15
281 texinfo | [] | 7
282 textutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 16
283 util-linux | [] [] | 4
284 wdiff | [] [] [] [] | 7
285 wget | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 17
286 +----------------------------------------------------+
287 33 teams ko lv nb nl nn no pl pt pt_BR ru sk sl sv tr uk zh
288 53 domains 9 1 6 20 0 6 17 1 13 25 10 11 23 21 2 2 387
290 Some counters in the preceding matrix are higher than the number of
291 visible blocks let us expect. This is because a few extra PO files are
292 used for implementing regional variants of languages, or language
293 dialects.
295 For a PO file in the matrix above to be effective, the package to
296 which it applies should also have been internationalized and
297 distributed as such by its maintainer. There might be an observable
298 lag between the mere existence a PO file and its wide availability in a
299 distribution.
301 If September 2001 seems to be old, you may fetch a more recent copy
302 of this `ABOUT-NLS' file on most GNU archive sites. The most
303 up-to-date matrix with full percentage details can be found at
304 `http://www.iro.umontreal.ca/contrib/po/HTML/matrix.html'.
306 Using `gettext' in new packages
307 ===============================
309 If you are writing a freely available program and want to
310 internationalize it you are welcome to use GNU `gettext' in your
311 package. Of course you have to respect the GNU Library General Public
312 License which covers the use of the GNU `gettext' library. This means
313 in particular that even non-free programs can use `libintl' as a shared
314 library, whereas only free software can use `libintl' as a static
315 library or use modified versions of `libintl'.
317 Once the sources are changed appropriately and the setup can handle
318 to use of `gettext' the only thing missing are the translations. The
319 Free Translation Project is also available for packages which are not
320 developed inside the GNU project. Therefore the information given above
321 applies also for every other Free Software Project. Contact
322 `translation@iro.umontreal.ca' to make the `.pot' files available to
323 the translation teams.