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(gettext.info)C Sources Context

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C Sources Context
=================

   PO mode is particularily powerful when used with PO files created
through GNU `gettext' utilities, as those utilities insert special
comments in the PO files they generate.  Some of these special comments
relate the PO file entry to exactly where the untranslated string
appears in the program sources.

   When the translator gets to an untranslated entry, she is fairly
often faced with an original string which is not as informative as it
normally should be, being succinct, cryptic, or otherwise ambiguous.
Before chosing how to translate the string, she needs to understand
better what the string really means and how tight the translation has
to be.  Most of times, when problems arise, the only way left to make
her judgment is looking at the true program sources from where this
string originated, searching for surrounding comments the programmer
might have put in there, and looking around for helping clues of _any_
kind.

   Surely, when looking at program sources, the translator will receive
more help if she is a fluent programmer.  However, even if she is not
versed in programming and feels a little lost in C code, the translator
should not be shy at taking a look, once in a while.  It is most
probable that she will still be able to find some of the hints she
needs.  She will learn quickly to not feel uncomfortable in program
code, paying more attention to programmer's comments, variable and
function names (if he dared chosing them well), and overall
organization, than to programmation itself.

   The following commands are meant to help the translator at getting
program source context for a PO file entry.

`s'
     Resume the display of a program source context, or cycle through
     them.

`M-s'
     Display of a program source context selected by menu.

`S'
     Add a directory to the search path for source files.

`M-S'
     Delete a directory from the search path for source files.

   The commands `s' (`po-cycle-reference') and `M-s'
(`po-select-source-reference') both open another window displaying some
source program file, and already positioned in such a way that it shows
an actual use of the string to be translated.  By doing so, the command
gives source program context for the string.  But if the entry has no
source context references, or if all references are unresolved along
the search path for program sources, then the command diagnoses this as
an error.

   Even if `s' (or `M-s') opens a new window, the cursor stays in the
PO file window.  If the translator really wants to get into the program
source window, she ought to do it explicitly, maybe by using command
`O'.

   When `s' is typed for the first time, or for a PO file entry which
is different of the last one used for getting source context, then the
command reacts by giving the first context available for this entry, if
any.  If some context has already been recently displayed for the
current PO file entry, and the translator wandered off to do other
things, typing `s' again will merely resume, in another window, the
context last displayed.  In particular, if the translator moved the
cursor away from the context in the source file, the command will bring
the cursor back to the context.  By using `s' many times in a row, with
no other commands intervening, PO mode will cycle to the next available
contexts for this particular entry, getting back to the first context
once the last has been shown.

   The command `M-s' behaves differently.  Instead of cycling through
references, it lets the translator choose a particular reference among
many, and displays that reference.  It is best used with completion, if
the translator types `<TAB>' immediately after `M-s', in response to
the question, she will be offered a menu of all possible references, as
a reminder of which are the acceptable answers.  This command is useful
only where there are really many contexts available for a single string
to translate.

   Program source files are usually found relative to where the PO file
stands.  As a special provision, when this fails, the file is also
looked for, but relative to the directory immediately above it.  Those
two cases take proper care of most PO files.  However, it might happen
that a PO file has been moved, or is edited in a different place than
its normal location.  When this happens, the translator should tell PO
mode in which directory normally sits the genuine PO file.  Many such
directories may be specified, and all together, they constitute what is
called the "search path" for program sources.  The command `S'
(`po-consider-source-path') is used to interactively enter a new
directory at the front of the search path, and the command `M-S'
(`po-ignore-source-path') is used to select, with completion, one of
the directories she does not want anymore on the search path.