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(gettext.info)Temp Implementations


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Temporary - Two Possible Implementations
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   There are two competing methods for language independent messages:
the X/Open `catgets' method, and the Uniforum `gettext' method.  The
`catgets' method indexes messages by integers; the `gettext' method
indexes them by their English translations.  The `catgets' method has
been around longer and is supported by more vendors.  The `gettext'
method is supported by Sun, and it has been heard that the COSE
multi-vendor initiative is supporting it.  Neither method is a POSIX
standard; the POSIX.1 committee had a lot of disagreement in this area.

   Neither one is in the POSIX standard.  There was much disagreement
in the POSIX.1 committee about using the `gettext' routines vs.
`catgets' (XPG).  In the end the committee couldn't agree on anything,
so no messaging system was included as part of the standard.  I believe
the informative annex of the standard includes the XPG3 messaging
interfaces, "...as an example of a messaging system that has been
implemented..."

   They were very careful not to say anywhere that you should use one
set of interfaces over the other.  For more on this topic please see
the Programming for Internationalization FAQ.


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