On Sat, Jan 20, 2007 at 10:45:07PM -0800, Don Armstrong wrote: > On Sat, 20 Jan 2007, Steve Langasek wrote: > > AFAICS, post-processing of log messages would be the most reliable > > method to give admins localized logs while also making it feasible > > for upstreams to support user requests. Any problems that would make > > it hard to post-process English logs for localization would apply > > n-fold to post-processing non-English logs for translation back to > > English.
> But this style of post-processing would occur only when there was a > support request that required an english speaker to look at the logs; > the user translating it by hand in this case (or using an appropriate > locale, or finding someone who could translate it or backtracking from > the message to english using the same mapping that the program does) > seems perfectly reasonable to me. But translations aren't guaranteed to be reversible, even in the context of the limited set of messages used by a particular program. > Post-processing seems to require a set of fragile dependencies between > the log processing software and the actual software generating the > messages unless someone standardizes on a central repository of > messages in different languages [and would make casual log checking > slightly more difficult.] If implemented right, checking the post-processed localized logs *would* be casual. > > For best results, we would have a logging protocol that logs a > > message ID plus arguments, so that formatting into English /or/ into > > other languages would follow the same, sscanf-free process. :) > And a central repository of all of the message Ids and blocks which > are assigned to speciifc programs and whatever other standards are > needed to implement it... I suppose it would be optimal, but I don't > think it'll happen anytime soon. Um, this wouldn't need to be any more centralized than existing gettext handling is today. -- Steve Langasek Give me a lever long enough and a Free OS Debian Developer to set it on, and I can move the world. [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.debian.org/ -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]