bugGNU gettext - Bugs: bug #22976, xgettext: Header of .pot files...

 
 

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bug #22976: xgettext: Header of .pot files should be configurable

Submitted by:  None
Submitted on:  Fri 18 Apr 2008 07:41:10 PM UTC  
 
Category: Translator toolsSeverity: 3 - Normal
Item Group: NoneStatus: Not a Bug
Privacy: PublicAssigned to: Bruno Haible <haible>
Open/Closed: Closed

Sun 20 Apr 2008 12:43:02 PM UTC, comment #4:

>> I realize that I could use sed or something alike. But doing
>> so makes me rely on the header format never to change (much),


> You can rely on that; it did not change in 13 years, and
> several tools now depends on this format.


OK, I will. Still, it would have been nice to have command line
switches instead. But I agree that it is not as urgent as I
thought.

Mark Weyer

Anonymous
Sun 20 Apr 2008 11:36:56 AM UTC, comment #3:

> I would like to replace the copyright notice by a different
> formulation, putting more emphasise on the fact that the file
> is a generated file.


We found that the formulation "distributed under the same license
as the ... package" satisfied everyone, from paranoic programmers
to translators.

If you put in something like "this file is public domain" or
"this file is automatically generated", some translators will
disagree with their work being under public domain, or some
translators will not understand that you meant them to change
this statement. We experienced such discussions, that's why
the notice is as it as.

But of course, you are free to replace it with another one,
using 'sed' or so.

> > 3) No one ever suggested editing the POT file header by hand.
> The manual does. It tells me to use any text editor and
> specifically recommends emacs.


This is in a chapter directed at the translator, when
creating a PO file. She will not have to repeat this change
of the header file in updates of the same PO file; the
workflow guarantees this.

> I realize that I could use sed or something alike. But doing
> so makes me rely on the header format never to change (much),


You can rely on that; it did not change in 13 years, and
several tools now depends on this format.

Bruno Haible <haible>
Project AdministratorIn charge of this item.
Sun 20 Apr 2008 10:38:47 AM UTC, comment #2:

> If you have other requirements than that, please state them.


I would like to replace the copyright notice by a different
formulation, putting more emphasise on the fact that the file
is a generated file. In general, I do not think that one (or
in this case two) copyright templates fit everybody.

> 3) No one ever suggested editing the POT file header by hand.


The manual does. It tells me to use any text editor and
specifically recommends emacs. This requires my interaction
and cannot be easily automated. That's what I meant with "by
hand". I do want automation, though, because I expect to run
xgettext once for each new release of the software, and the
values to be filled in are always the same.

I realize that I could use sed or something alike. But doing
so makes me rely on the header format never to change (much),
so I do not consider it robust.

(My version of the manual is 0.16.1)

> 2) In the subject you say you want to configure the header.
> Then you want to turn off the header? Makes no sense.


Sorry for having been so terse. Turning the header off
completely was meant as a quick solution. In this case, I
would have provided a replacement header using cat, so
the header would only have been left out from xgettext's
point of view, not completely.
Of course it would be better to be able to configure each
field in the header by a separate command-line option.
(Where I consider the copyright notice as a whole to be
one field, see above.)

Best regards,

Mark Weyer

Anonymous
Sun 20 Apr 2008 02:12:43 AM UTC, comment #1:

You are not clear about what you want.
1) The POT file header is designed to support the workflow between
programmers, translators, and users. It is documented in the
manual, section "Header Entry". If you have other
requirements than that, please state them.
2) In the subject you say you want to configure the header. Then
you want to turn off the header? Makes no sense.
3) No one ever suggested editing the POT file header by hand.

Bruno Haible <haible>
Project AdministratorIn charge of this item.
Fri 18 Apr 2008 07:41:10 PM UTC, original submission:

The header as it is generated is quite useless. I might edit it
by hand, but it will only be regenerated as is by the next run
of xgettext. Please at least provide an option to switch it off
completely.

Best regards,

Mark Weyer

Anonymous

 

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    Follow 4 latest changes.

    Date Changed By Updated Field Previous Value => Replaced By
    Sat 26 Nov 2016 11:55:48 PM UTChaibleCategoryNone=>Translator tools
    Sun 20 Apr 2008 02:12:43 AM UTChaibleAssigned toNone=>haible
      Open/ClosedOpen=>Closed
    Sun 20 Apr 2008 02:12:42 AM UTChaibleStatusNone=>Not a Bug

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