@node Translation Intro
@chapter Notes on the GNU Translation Project

@set STATUS November 1995

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 @file{ABOUT-NLS} file inside a GNU distribution, you
may assume that the distributed package does use GNU @code{gettext}
internally, itself available at your nearest GNU archive site.
But you do not need to install GNU @code{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 @file{intl/} directory or bugs which may
be related to internationalization, you should tell about the version
of @code{gettext} which is used.  The information can be found in
the @file{intl/VERSION} file, in internationalized packages.

@menu
* One advise::
* INSTALL Matters::
* Using This Package::
* Translating Teams::
* Available Packages::
@end menu

@node One advise
@section One advise in advance

If you want to exploit the full power of the GNU @code{gettext} package
you should configure it using

@example
        --with-gnu-gettext.
@end example

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 @code{gettext} will very likely provide even more
functionality.  So it might be a good idea to change to GNU
@code{gettext} as soon as possible.


@node INSTALL Matters
@section INSTALL Matters

Some GNU packages are @dfn{localizable} when properly installed; the
programs they contain can be made to speak your own native language.
Most such packages use GNU @code{gettext}.  Other packages have their
own ways to internationalization, predating GNU @code{gettext}.

By default, this package will be installed to allow translation of
messages.  It will automatically detect whether the system provides
usable @code{catgets} or @code{gettext} functions.  If neither
is available, the GNU @code{gettext} own library will be used.
However, installers may use special options at configuration time
for changing this behaviour.  The commands:

@example
./configure --with-gnu-gettext
./configure --disable-nls
@end example

@noindent
will respectively bypass system @code{catgets} or @code{gettext} to use
GNU @code{gettext}, or else, totally disable translation of messages.

When you already have GNU @code{gettext} installed on your system and
run configure without an option for your new package, configure will
probably detect the previously built and installed @file{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 @code{gettext} library.
I.e. if the file @file{intl/VERSION} shows that the library which comes
with this package is more recent, you should use

@example
./configure --with-gnu-gettext
@end example

@noindent
to prevent auto-detection.

Internationalized packages have usually many @file{po/@var{ll}.po}
files, where @var{ll} gives an @w{ISO 639} two-letter code identifying
the language.  Unless translations are disabled, all those available are
installed together with the package.  However, the environment variable
@code{LINGUAS} may be set, prior to configuration, to limit the
installed set.  @code{LINGUAS} should then contain a space separated
list of two-letter codes, stating which languages are allowed.

@node Using This Package
@section Using This Package

As a user, if your language has been installed for this package, you
only have to set the @code{LANG} environment variable to the appropriate
@w{ISO 639} @samp{@var{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 @w{@samp{setenv LANG de}} (in
@code{csh}) or @w{@samp{export LANG; LANG=de}} (in @code{sh}).  This can
be done from your @file{.login} or @file{.profile} file, once and for
all.  Packages which are not internationalized will merely ignore the
setting of this variable.

@node Translating Teams
@section Translating Teams

The GNU @code{gettext} tool set contains @emph{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
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 translating team has its own mailing list, courtesy of Linux
International.  You may reach your translating team at the address
@file{@var{ll}@@li.org}, replacing @var{ll} by the two-letter @w{ISO
639} code for your language.  Language codes are @emph{not} the same
as country codes given in @w{ISO 3166}.  The following translating
teams exist, as of @value{STATUS}:

@quotation
Chinese @code{zh}, Czech @code{cs}, Danish @code{da}, Dutch @code{nl},
English @code{en}, Esperanto @code{eo}, Finnish @code{fi}, French
@code{fr}, Irish @code{ga}, German @code{de}, Greek @code{el},
Italian @code{it}, Japanese @code{ja}, Indonesian @code{in}, Norwegian
@code{no}, Persian @code{fa}, Polish @code{pl}, Portuguese @code{pt},
Russian @code{ru}, Spanish @code{es}, Swedish @code{sv}, Telugu
@code{te} and Turkish @code{tr}.
@end quotation

@noindent
For example, you may reach the Chinese translating team by writing to
@file{zh@@li.org}.

If you'd like to volunteer to @emph{work} at translating messages, you
should become a member of the translating team for your own language.
The subscribing address is @emph{not} the same as the list itself, it
has @samp{-request} appended.  For example, Swedish people can send
a message to @w{@file{sv-request@@li.org}}, having this message body:

@example
subscribe
@end example

Keep in mind that team members should be interested in @emph{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 @w{@file{gnu-translation@@prep.ai.mit.edu}};
you will then reach the GNU coordinator for all translator teams.

The English team is special.  It works at improving and uniformizing
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.

@node Available Packages
@section Available Packages

Languages are not equally supported in all GNU packages.  The following
matrix shows the current state of GNU internationalization, as of
@value{STATUS}.  Listed are: internationalized packages, and languages
for which work is in progress, or about to start.

@example
@group
     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
@end group
@end example

The interpretation legend and notes are:

@table @asis
@item @samp{/}
There is no PO file, this package merely defaults to this language.

@item @samp{.}
The effort of localizing this package has been undertaken by someone,
or by a translating team, and work is, or should be in progress.

@item @samp{-}
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.

@item @samp{X}
The localization of this package to this particular language is fully
completed, and now distributed through an official release.

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

@item (2)
This package is planned to switch to GNU @code{gettext}.  For the
time being, it uses temporary means for internationalization.

@item (3)
This package has its translatable strings marked, but does not use
GNU @code{gettext}.  A convenience patch may be available separately.

@end table

If @value{STATUS} seems to be old, you may fetch a more recent copy
of this @file{ABOUT-NLS} file on most GNU archive sites.
