Re: [boost] Review request : format

From: Andrei Alexandrescu (andrewalex_at_[hidden])
Date: 2001-12-19 14:16:09

From: "Karl Nelson" <kenelson_at_[hidden]>
To: <boost_at_[hidden]>
Cc: <kenelson_at_[hidden]>
Sent: Wednesday, December 19, 2001 11:00 AM
Subject: Re: [boost] Review request : format
> Thus we get a program like
>
>    char* format=N_("Your name is %s, and your age is %d.");
>    printf(format,name,age);
>
> When it comes time for internationalization these strings are parsed
> out to a file where they are given to the translator.  The translator
> sends back a file which contains a map from string to string.

This won't work. You need positional parameters. The problem is with strings
such as:

char* format=N_("Today's date is %d-%d-%d.");

This cannot be translated because the order of numbers might be different.
You may argue that dates need separate treatment as well, but:

char* format=N_("Error code %d in transaction %d.");

Maybe in some language a more natural sentence has the transaction number
first and the error code second.

Andrei