head	1.6;
access;
symbols
	V0-9-2:1.5
	V0-9-1:1.5
	V0-9-0:1.5
	V0-4-5:1.5
	V0-4-4:1.5
	V0-4-3:1.3
	V0-4-2:1.3
	V0-4-1:1.3
	V0-4-0:1.3
	V0-3-5:1.3
	V0-3-4:1.2
	V0-3-3:1.2
	V0-3-2:1.2
	V0-3-1:1.2
	V0-3-0:1.2
	V0-2-19:1.2
	V0-2-18:1.2
	V0-2-17:1.2
	V0-2-15:1.2
	V0-2-10:1.2
	V-0-2-8:1.1
	V0-2-6:1.1;
locks; strict;
comment	@# @;


1.6
date	99.02.13.10.19.13;	author koch;	state dead;
branches;
next	1.5;

1.5
date	98.11.13.19.41.32;	author koch;	state Exp;
branches;
next	1.4;

1.4
date	98.11.10.12.59.40;	author koch;	state Exp;
branches;
next	1.3;

1.3
date	98.09.14.15.49.36;	author wk;	state Exp;
branches;
next	1.2;

1.2
date	98.02.26.16.56.10;	author wk;	state Exp;
branches;
next	1.1;

1.1
date	98.01.30.20.27.11;	author wk;	state Exp;
branches;
next	;


desc
@@


1.6
log
@removed gettext
@
text
@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.

One advise in advance
=====================

   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 or message inheritance) 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 provides
usable `catgets' (if using this is selected by the installer) or
`gettext' functions.  If neither is available, 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 --with-catgets
     ./configure --disable-nls

will respectively bypass any pre-existing `catgets' or `gettext' to use
the internationalizing routines provided within this package, enable
the use of the `catgets' functions (if found on the locale system), 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.

   By default the configuration process will not test for the `catgets'
function and therefore they will not be used.  The reasons are already
given above: the emulation on top of `catgets' cannot provide all the
extensions provided by the GNU `gettext' library.  If you nevertheless
want to use the `catgets' functions use

     ./configure --with-catgets

to enable the test for `catgets' (this causes no harm if `catgets' is
not available on your system).  If you really select this option we
would like to hear about the reasons because we cannot think of any
good one ourself.

   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
ISO 639 `LL' two-letter code prior to using the programs in the
package.  For example, let's suppose that you speak German.  At the
shell prompt, merely execute `setenv LANG de' (in `csh'),
`export LANG; LANG=de' (in `sh') or `export LANG=de' (in `bash').  This
can be done from your `.login' or `.profile' file, once and for all.

   An operating system might already offer message localization for
many of its programs, while other programs have been installed locally
with the full capabilities of GNU `gettext'.  Just using `gettext'
extended syntax for `LANG' would break proper localization of already
available operating system programs.  In this case, users should set
both `LANGUAGE' and `LANG' variables in their environment, as programs
using GNU `gettext' give preference to `LANGUAGE'.  For example, some
Swedish users would rather read translations in German than English for
when Swedish is not available.  This is easily accomplished by setting
`LANGUAGE' to `sv:de' while leaving `LANG' to `sv'.

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, courtesy of Linux
International.  You may reach your translation team at the address
`LL@@li.org', replacing LL by the two-letter ISO 639 code for your
language.  Language codes are *not* the same as the country codes given
in ISO 3166.  The following translation teams exist, as of December
1997:

     Chinese `zh', Czech `cs', Danish `da', Dutch `nl', English `en',
     Esperanto `eo', Finnish `fi', French `fr', German `de', Hungarian
     `hu', Irish `ga', Italian `it', Indonesian `id', Japanese `ja',
     Korean `ko', Latin `la', Norwegian `no', Persian `fa', Polish
     `pl', Portuguese `pt', Russian `ru', Slovenian `sl', Spanish `es',
     Swedish `sv', and Turkish `tr'.

For example, you may reach the Chinese translation team by writing to
`zh@@li.org'.

   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 December
1997.  The matrix shows, in regard of each package, for which languages
PO files have been submitted to translation coordination.

     Ready PO files    cs da de en es fi fr it ja ko nl no pl pt ru sl sv
                     .----------------------------------------------------.
     bash            |       []          []          []                   |  3
     bison           |       []          []          []                   |  3
     clisp           |       [] [] []    []                               |  4
     cpio            |       []    []    []       [] []    []             |  6
     diffutils       |       []    []    []                []          [] |  5
     enscript        |       []    [] [] []          []             []    |  6
     fileutils       | []    []    []    []       [] []    [] []    [] [] | 10
     findutils       |       []    []    [] []    [] []    []    []    [] |  9
     flex            |             []    []       []                   [] |  4
     gcal            |       []          []          []    []          [] |  5
     gettext         |    [] []    []    []       [] [] [] [] []    [] [] | 12
     grep            |       []    []    []       [] [] [] []    [] [] [] | 10
     hello           |    [] []    []    []       [] [] [] [] []    [] [] | 11
     id-utils        |       []          []                []             |  3
     indent          |    [] []                   []       []    []       |  5
     libc            |       []    []    []       [] []    []          [] |  7
     m4              |       []          []    []    []          []    [] |  6
     make            |       []    []    []       [] []    []             |  6
     music           |                   []                []             |  2
     ptx             |       []    []    []          [] [] [] []       [] |  8
     recode          |    [] []    []    []          []    [] []    [] [] |  9
     sh-utils        |       []    []    []          [] [] [] []       [] |  8
     sharutils       | []    []    []    []          []                [] |  6
     tar             | []    []          [] []    [] [] [] [] []    [] [] | 11
     texinfo         | []    []          []                               |  3
     textutils       | []    []    []    []       [] [] [] []          [] |  9
     wdiff           | []    []    []    []          [] [] []          [] |  8
                     `----------------------------------------------------'
       17 languages    cs da de en es fi fr it ja ko nl no pl pt ru sl sv
       27 packages      6  4 25  1 18  1 26  2  1 12 20  9 19  7  4  7 17  179

   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 December 1997 seems to be old, you may fetch a more recent copy
of this `ABOUT-NLS' file on most GNU archive sites.

@


1.5
log
@See ChangeLog ;-).  Key validation should now be faster
@
text
@@


1.4
log
@Some bug fixes of the last release
@
text
@d140 2
a141 1
in ISO 3166.  The following translation teams exist, as of August 1998:
d176 2
a177 2
matrix shows the current state of internationalization, as of August
1998.  The matrix shows, in regard of each package, for which languages
d180 32
a211 69
     Ready PO files    cs da de el en es fi fr it
                     .----------------------------.
     bash            |       []             []    |
     bison           |       []             []    |
     clisp           |       []    [] []    []    |
     cpio            |       []       []    []    |
     diffutils       |       []       []    []    |
     enscript        |       []       [] [] []    |
     fileutils       | []    []       []    []    |
     findutils       |       []       []    [] [] |
     flex            |                []    []    |
     gcal            |       []             []    |
     gettext         |    [] [] []    []    []    |
     grep            |       [] []    []    []    |
     hello           |    [] []       []    [] [] |
     id-utils        |       []             []    |
     indent          |    [] []                   |
     libc            |       []       []    []    |
     m4              |       []             []    |
     make            |       []       []    []    |
     music           |                      []    |
     ptx             |       []       []    []    |
     recode          |    [] []       []    []    |
     sed             |                            |
     sh-utils        |       []       []    []    |
     sharutils       | []    [] []    []    []    |
     tar             | []    []             [] [] |
     texinfo         | []    []             []    |
     textutils       | []    []       []    []    |
     wdiff           | []    []       []    []    |
     wget            | []    [] []             [] |
                     `----------------------------'
                       cs da de el en es fi fr it
                        7  4 26  4  1 18  1 26  4
     
                       ja ko nl no pl pt ru sl sv
                     .----------------------------.
     bash            |       []                   |  3
     bison           |       []                   |  3
     clisp           |                            |  4
     cpio            |    [] []    []             |  6
     diffutils       |             []          [] |  5
     enscript        |       []             []    |  6
     fileutils       |    [] []    [] [] [] [] [] | 11
     findutils       |    [] []    []    []    [] |  9
     flex            |    []                   [] |  4
     gcal            |       []    []          [] |  5
     gettext         |    [] [] [] [] []    [] [] | 13
     grep            |    [] [] [] []    [] [] [] | 11
     hello           |    [] [] [] [] []    [] [] | 12
     id-utils        |             []             |  3
     indent          |    []       []    []       |  5
     libc            |    [] [] [] []          [] |  8
     m4              | []    []          []    [] |  6
     make            |    [] []    []             |  6
     music           |             []             |  2
     ptx             |       [] [] [] []       [] |  8
     recode          |       []    [] []    [] [] |  9
     sed             |                            |  0
     sh-utils        |       [] [] [] []       [] |  8
     sharutils       |       []                [] |  7
     tar             |    [] [] [] [] []    [] [] | 11
     texinfo         |       []                   |  4
     textutils       |    [] [] [] []          [] |  9
     wdiff           |       [] [] []          [] |  8
     wget            |          []                |  5
                     `----------------------------'
       18 teams        ja ko nl no pl pt ru sl sv
       29 domains       1 12 21 11 19  7  5  7 17  191
d224 2
a225 19
   If August 1998 seems to be old, you may fetch a more recent copy of
this `ABOUT-NLS' file on most GNU archive sites.

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 the GNU Public License applies to your sources from
then if you include `gettext' directly in your distribution on but
since you are writing free software anyway this is no restriction.

   Once the sources are change 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.
@


1.3
log
@New release
@
text
@d140 1
a140 2
in ISO 3166.  The following translation teams exist, as of December
1997:
d175 2
a176 2
matrix shows the current state of internationalization, as of December
1997.  The matrix shows, in regard of each package, for which languages
d179 69
a247 32
     Ready PO files    cs da de en es fi fr it ja ko nl no pl pt ru sl sv
                     .----------------------------------------------------.
     bash            |       []          []          []                   |  3
     bison           |       []          []          []                   |  3
     clisp           |       [] [] []    []                               |  4
     cpio            |       []    []    []       [] []    []             |  6
     diffutils       |       []    []    []                []          [] |  5
     enscript        |       []    [] [] []          []             []    |  6
     fileutils       | []    []    []    []       [] []    [] []    [] [] | 10
     findutils       |       []    []    [] []    [] []    []    []    [] |  9
     flex            |             []    []       []                   [] |  4
     gcal            |       []          []          []    []          [] |  5
     gettext         |    [] []    []    []       [] [] [] [] []    [] [] | 12
     grep            |       []    []    []       [] [] [] []    [] [] [] | 10
     hello           |    [] []    []    []       [] [] [] [] []    [] [] | 11
     id-utils        |       []          []                []             |  3
     indent          |    [] []                   []       []    []       |  5
     libc            |       []    []    []       [] []    []          [] |  7
     m4              |       []          []    []    []          []    [] |  6
     make            |       []    []    []       [] []    []             |  6
     music           |                   []                []             |  2
     ptx             |       []    []    []          [] [] [] []       [] |  8
     recode          |    [] []    []    []          []    [] []    [] [] |  9
     sh-utils        |       []    []    []          [] [] [] []       [] |  8
     sharutils       | []    []    []    []          []                [] |  6
     tar             | []    []          [] []    [] [] [] [] []    [] [] | 11
     texinfo         | []    []          []                               |  3
     textutils       | []    []    []    []       [] [] [] []          [] |  9
     wdiff           | []    []    []    []          [] [] []          [] |  8
                     `----------------------------------------------------'
       17 languages    cs da de en es fi fr it ja ko nl no pl pt ru sl sv
       27 packages      6  4 25  1 18  1 26  2  1 12 20  9 19  7  4  7 17  179
d260 19
a278 2
   If December 1997 seems to be old, you may fetch a more recent copy
of this `ABOUT-NLS' file on most GNU archive sites.
@


1.2
log
@release 0.2.9
@
text
@d194 1
a194 1
     hello           |       []    []    []       [] [] [] [] []    [] [] | 10
d204 3
a206 3
     sharutils       |       []    []    []          []                [] |  5
     tar             |       []          [] []    [] [] [] [] []    [] [] | 10
     texinfo         |       []          []                               |  2
d211 1
a211 1
       27 packages      3  3 25  1 18  1 26  2  1 12 20  9 19  7  4  7 17  175
@


1.1
log
@added
@
text
@d1 2
a2 2
Notes on the GNU Translation Project
************************************
d4 10
a13 10
   GNU is going international!  The GNU Translation Project is a way to
get maintainers, translators and users all together, so GNU will
gradually become able to speak many native languages.  A few packages
already provide native language translation for their messages.

   If you found this `ABOUT-NLS' file inside a GNU 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.
d28 2
a29 2
   If you want to exploit the full power of the GNU `gettext' package
you should configure it using
d31 1
a31 1
             --with-gnu-gettext.
d33 13
a45 8
   No existing implementation at this point provides so many useful
features (such as locale alias or message inheritance).  It is also not
possible to provide this additional functionality on top of a catgets
implementation.

   Future versions of GNU `gettext' will very likely provide even more
functionality.  So it might be a good idea to change to GNU `gettext'
as soon as possible.
d50 1
a50 1
   Some GNU packages are "localizable" when properly installed; the
d57 7
a63 4
usable `catgets' or `gettext' functions.  If neither is available, the
GNU `gettext' own library will be used.  However, installers may use
special options at configuration time for changing this behaviour.  The
commands:
d65 2
a66 1
     ./configure --with-gnu-gettext
d69 4
a72 2
will respectively bypass system `catgets' or `gettext' to use GNU
`gettext', or else, totally disable translation of messages.
d75 1
a75 1
configure without an option for your new package, configure will
d82 1
a82 1
     ./configure --with-gnu-gettext
d86 13
d101 6
a106 5
translations are disabled, all those available 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.
d115 14
a128 4
shell prompt, merely execute `setenv LANG de' (in `csh') or
`export LANG; LANG=de' (in `sh').  This can be done from your `.login'
or `.profile' file, once and for all.  Packages which are not
internationalized will merely ignore the setting of this variable.
d133 1
a133 7
   The GNU `gettext' tool set contains *everything* maintainers need
for internationalizing their packages for messages.  It also contains
quite useful tools for helping translators at localizing messages to
their native language, once a package has already been
internationalized.

   To achieve the GNU Translation Project, we need many interested
d136 2
a137 2
Each translating team has its own mailing list, courtesy of Linux
International.  You may reach your translating team at the address
d139 3
a141 2
language.  Language codes are *not* the same as country codes given in
ISO 3166.  The following translating teams exist, as of November 1995:
d144 5
a148 5
     Esperanto `eo', Finnish `fi', French `fr', Irish `ga', German
     `de', Greek `el', Italian `it', Japanese `ja', Indonesian `in',
     Norwegian `no', Persian `fa', Polish `pl', Portuguese `pt',
     Russian `ru', Spanish `es', Swedish `sv', Telugu `te' and Turkish
     `tr'.
d150 1
a150 1
For example, you may reach the Chinese translating team by writing to
d156 2
a157 2
`-request' appended.  For example, Swedish people can send a message to
`sv-request@@li.org', having this message body:
d161 6
a166 5
   Keep in mind that team members should be interested in *working* at
translations, or at solving translational difficulties, rather than
merely lurking around.  If your team does not exist yet and you want to
start one, please write to `gnu-translation@@prep.ai.mit.edu'; you will
then reach the GNU coordinator for all translator teams.
d169 2
a170 3
the terminology used in GNU.  Proven linguistic skill are praised more
than programming skill, here.  For the time being, please avoid
subscribing to the English team unless explicitely invited to do so.
d175 48
a222 55
   Languages are not equally supported in all GNU packages.  The
following matrix shows the current state of GNU internationalization,
as of November 1995.  Listed are: internationalized packages, and
languages for which work is in progress, or about to start.

          See note    cs de en fr it ja nl no pt sv
                \   .-------------------------------.
     chess      (1) |    X  /                    X  |
     clisp          |    X  X  X                    |
     diffutils  (2) |       /  .                    |
     fileutils      |    .  /                       |
     flex       (3) |       /  .                    |
     m4             |    -  /  -  -  .           -  |
     gettext        |    X  /  X           X     X  |
     ptx            |    -  /  -                 -  |
     recode         |    -  /  -        -     -     |
     sh-utils       |    .  /  .                    |
     sharutils      |    X  /  X     X  X     X  X  |
     tar            |    X  /  X           -  X  X  |
     textutils      |    .  /  .                    |
     wdiff          | -  -  /  -  -                 |
                    `-------------------------------'
                      cs de en fr it ja nl no pt sv

   The interpretation legend and notes are:

`/'
     There is no PO file, this package merely defaults to this language.

`.'
     The effort of localizing this package has been undertaken by
     someone, or by a translating team, and work is, or should be in
     progress.

`-'
     A PO file for this package and this language is completed and is
     currently available in a pretest release, or is all ready for
     inclusion in the next release of this package.

`X'
     The localization of this package to this particular language is
     fully completed, and now distributed through an official release.

(1)
     This package is translated to specific languages by methods
     predating GNU `gettext'.  Translations are all kept on disk files,
     and sources contain numbers where one normally expects strings.

(2)
     This package is planned to switch to GNU `gettext'.  For the time
     being, it uses temporary means for internationalization.

(3)
     This package has its translatable strings marked, but does not use
     GNU `gettext'.  A convenience patch may be available separately.
d224 1
a224 1
   If November 1995 seems to be old, you may fetch a more recent copy
@
