Re: CLDR plural handling info?

From: Theo Veenker (Theo.Veenker@let.uu.nl)
Date: Mon Jul 11 2005 - 16:34:13 CDT

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    Mark Davis wrote:
    >>But that
    >>doesn't make sense, it's the message generating system which selects the
    >>appropriate message for the given plural form.
    >
    >
    > Yes, agreed.
    >
    >
    >>In GNU gettext there are
    >>8 rules (at least several years ago there where 8) for determining the
    >>plural form for a given language (see below).
    >
    >
    > CLDR uses a mechanism that is more flexible than what you describe, since it
    > can match any number range. See
    > http://www.unicode.org/reports/tr35/#Choice_Patterns. But it only uses that
    > for currency formats, currently.

    I must have missed that. Will read again.
    >
    >
    >>I do think the interface between a system for selecting user interface
    >>messages and the CLDR should be seamless. Therefore I believe the CLDR
    >>project should also provide a storage format for message catalogs and
    >>a format specification for the messages themselves. However the GNU
    >>gettext people will probably disagree.
    >
    >
    > And I suspect that the CLDR committee would also disagree. The goal of CLDR
    > is to provide common data, not an implementation mechanism. It does have to
    > get into formatting, where that affects the result -- such as with months in
    > date formats -- but not general text formatting or language analysis.

    That's sad. I'd rather follow a standard set by the Unicode/CLDR then
    invent my own or go back to the 1980s by using gettext. Organizations
    like the Unicode consortium are in the position where they can set de
    facto standards and put noses in the same direction (which I think is
    good). But I guess there is no mission, mandate or money supporting
    this idea.

    Theo

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