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(python2.1-lib.info)Class-based API

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Class-based API
---------------

The class-based API of the `gettext' module gives you more flexibility
and greater convenience than the GNU `gettext' API.  It is the
recommended way of localizing your Python applications and modules.
`gettext' defines a "translations" class which implements the parsing
of GNU `.mo' format files, and has methods for returning either
standard 8-bit strings or Unicode strings.  Translations instances can
also install themselves in the built-in namespace as the function `_()'.

`find(domain[, localedir[, languages]])'
     This function implements the standard `.mo' file search algorithm.
     It takes a DOMAIN, identical to what `textdomain()' takes, and
     optionally a LOCALEDIR (as in `bindtextdomain()'), and a list of
     languages.  All arguments are strings.

     If LOCALEDIR is not given, then the default system locale
     directory is used.(1)  If LANGUAGES is not given, then the
     following environment variables are searched: `LANGUAGE',
     `LC_ALL', `LC_MESSAGES', and `LANG'.  The first one returning a
     non-empty value is used for the LANGUAGES variable.  The
     environment variables can contain a colon separated list of
     languages, which will be split.

     `find()' then expands and normalizes the languages, and then
     iterates through them, searching for an existing file built of
     these components:

     `LOCALEDIR/LANGUAGE/LC_MESSAGES/DOMAIN.mo'

     The first such file name that exists is returned by `find()'.  If
     no such file is found, then `None' is returned.

`translation(domain[, localedir[, languages[, class_]]])'
     Return a `Translations' instance based on the DOMAIN, LOCALEDIR,
     and LANGUAGES, which are first passed to `find()' to get the
     associated `.mo' file path.  Instances with identical `.mo' file
     names are cached.  The actual class instantiated is either CLASS_
     if provided, otherwise `GNUTranslations'.  The class's constructor
     must take a single file object argument.  If no `.mo' file is
     found, this function raises `IOError'.

`install(domain[, localedir[, unicode]])'
     This installs the function `_' in Python's builtin namespace,
     based on DOMAIN, and LOCALEDIR which are passed to the function
     `translation()'.  The UNICODE flag is passed to the resulting
     translation object's `install' method.

     As seen below, you usually mark the strings in your application
     that are candidates for translation, by wrapping them in a call to
     the function `_()', e.g.

          print _('This string will be translated.')

     For convenience, you want the `_()' function to be installed in
     Python's builtin namespace, so it is easily accessible in all
     modules of your application.

NullTranslations class

GNUTranslations class

Solaris message catalog support

Catalog constructor

---------- Footnotes ----------

(1) See the footnote for `bindtextdomain()' above.