Re: [bug-gettext] Bug#682580: xgettext: fails to properly replace some placeholders in output .pot (PACKAGE, YEAR, C. HOLDER) (fwd)

[Francesco Poli]

On Mon, 20 Jul 2015 08:10:25 +0900 Daiki Ueno wrote:

> Francesco Poli <address@hidden> writes:
> 
[...]
> > What I really fail to understand is: if some placeholders are replaced
> > by
> >
> >   xgettext --copyright-holder="Python Software Foundation" \
> >            --package-name=myapplication --package-version=0.1 \
> >            --language=python myapplication.py -o myapplication2.pot
> >
> > why other placeholders are not touched at all?!?
> 
> First of all, I would repeat that xgettext prepares a template for
> translators, not a real content.  If you want to put the real content
> there, you can easily adjust it by using an Automake hook.
> 
> With the above example, the replaced placeholders (i.e., COPYRIGHT
> HOLDER, PACKAGE, VERSION) are common for all translations derived from
> the package source code.
> 
> On the other hand, xgettext intentionally doesn't provide a way to touch
> some placeholders (YEAR, FULL NAME, LANGUAGE, etc), because it shall be
> replaced by translators.  If you run:
> 
>   msginit -i myapplication2.pot -o ja.po
> 
> then you will get ja.po with those placeholders properly replaced for
> translation.
> 
> I think this is reasonable.  If you are still not satisfied with the
> answer, I'm afraid I doubt I could convince you of that.

Then I am afraid we will have to agree to disagree.

I am frankly having a hard time in seeing why the placeholder PACKAGE
should be replaced in one occurrence, but not in the other.
And in figuring out why the placeholder THE PACKAGE'S COPYRIGHT HOLDER
should be replaced, while the YEAR placeholder should be left untouched
in the *same* copyright notice.

Am I the only one who thinks that this is highly asymmetrical and
awkward?

I am honestly puzzled...



-- 
 http://www.inventati.org/frx/
 There's not a second to spare! To the laboratory!
..................................................... Francesco Poli .
 GnuPG key fpr == CA01 1147 9CD2 EFDF FB82  3925 3E1C 27E1 1F69 BFFE

pgplgki92rLPZ.pgp
Description: PGP signature