[Po4a-dev]changing the script names again ; the --insert-file option ; intermediate format of po-debiandoc

[Martin Quinson]

Hello,

Since we have yet another rainy weekend, I did work on po-pod further. I
decided simplify the interface, and to use only tree binaries here:

 pod-gettextize original.pod [translation.pod] > XX.po
 pod-updatepo original.pod XX.po [XX.po*]
 pod-translate original.pod XX.po > translation.pod

That is to say that:

 - I remove the pod2pot binary (pod-gettextize does this
   job when not provided with a translation.pod).
   
 - I rename po2pod to pod-translate. This name may not be optimal, but I
   don't like po2pod anymore. The old name is very clear for us, but the new
   one should be understandable even if you don't know what a po file is.

Maybe, we could use those names for all modules ? Yes, I know, it would be 3
times in a very short time frame that we change the names around here. But I
would say that it's not too late, and that very few people use these codes.
Every user may even be subscribed to this list, since we're 3 here ;) 

In my opinion, it is pretty important that all po4a modules offers the same
interface. In the same kind of idea, I guess we should try to unify the
options of similar binaries across modules.



On another front, I'm thinking about the ability of adding non-translated
content to the generated file. The story of --insert-file-{before,after}
options is very interesting, but its main drawback in my mind is that they
must be provided with the position of inclusion at generation time.
I think it would be wiser to put this information IN the file to be
included, on the first few lines. I think about such header:

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
# File fragment for the french translation of developper-reference.sgml
InsertMode=after
Position=introduction
# File fragement follows --DON'T EDIT THIS LINE--
blabliblublo
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

The drawback is that we have to parse the file somehow, but the advantage is
that the translator can control this completelly. Most often, the one who
runs the pod-translate script (or equivalent) is the maintainer (in a
makefile), and translators may have some hard time to get him using the
right compilation line...



Third front, Denis, could you document a bit the "intermediate format" used
in po-debiandoc, I'll have to find such a trick to merge two pod files
(original+translated) into a po file. This may even be generic to all
modules (but debconf)...



The good new here is that po-pod begins to be usable (even if it's still
pre-alpha):

For now, pod-gettextize work when not provided with a translation.pod (ie,
pod2pot works), and pod-translate seems to work, but I'll make another mail
when things are ready to get commited.



Bye, Mt.


-- 
La mathématique ouvre plus d'une fenêtre sur plus d'un monde.