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GNU Info (gettext.info)HistoryHistory of GNU `gettext' ======================== Internationalization concerns and algorithms have been informally and casually discussed for years in GNU, sometimes around GNU `libc', maybe around the incoming `Hurd', or otherwise (nobody clearly remembers). And even then, when the work started for real, this was somewhat independently of these previous discussions. This all began in July 1994, when Patrick D'Cruze had the idea and initiative of internationalizing version 3.9.2 of GNU `fileutils'. He then asked Jim Meyering, the maintainer, how to get those changes folded into an official release. That first draft was full of `#ifdef's and somewhat disconcerting, and Jim wanted to find nicer ways. Patrick and Jim shared some tries and experimentations in this area. Then, feeling that this might eventually have a deeper impact on GNU, Jim wanted to know what standards were, and contacted Richard Stallman, who very quickly and verbally described an overall design for what was meant to become `glocale', at that time. Jim implemented `glocale' and got a lot of exhausting feedback from Patrick and Richard, of course, but also from Mitchum DSouza (who wrote a `catgets'-like package), Roland McGrath, maybe David MacKenzie, Franc,ois Pinard, and Paul Eggert, all pushing and pulling in various directions, not always compatible, to the extent that after a couple of test releases, `glocale' was torn apart. While Jim took some distance and time and became dad for a second time, Roland wanted to get GNU `libc' internationalized, and got Ulrich Drepper involved in that project. Instead of starting from `glocale', Ulrich rewrote something from scratch, but more conformant to the set of guidelines who emerged out of the `glocale' effort. Then, Ulrich got people from the previous forum to involve themselves into this new project, and the switch from `glocale' to what was first named `msgutils', renamed `nlsutils', and later `gettext', became officially accepted by Richard in May 1995 or so. Let's summarize by saying that Ulrich Drepper wrote GNU `gettext' in April 1995. The first official release of the package, including PO mode, occurred in July 1995, and was numbered 0.7. Other people contributed to the effort by providing a discussion forum around Ulrich, writing little pieces of code, or testing. These are quoted in the `THANKS' file which comes with the GNU `gettext' distribution. While this was being done, Franc,ois adapted half a dozen of GNU packages to `glocale' first, then later to `gettext', putting them in pretest, so providing along the way an effective user environment for fine tuning the evolving tools. He also took the responsibility of organizing and coordinating the Translation Project. After nearly a year of informal exchanges between people from many countries, translator teams started to exist in May 1995, through the creation and support by Patrick D'Cruze of twenty unmoderated mailing lists for that many native languages, and two moderated lists: one for reaching all teams at once, the other for reaching all willing maintainers of internationalized free software packages. Franc,ois also wrote PO mode in June 1995 with the collaboration of Greg McGary, as a kind of contribution to Ulrich's package. He also gave a hand with the GNU `gettext' Texinfo manual. automatically generated by info2www version 1.2.2.9 |