Package gnu.gettext

Class GettextResource

java.lang.Object
java.util.ResourceBundle
gnu.gettext.GettextResource
public abstract class GettextResource
extends ResourceBundle
This class implements the main GNU libintl functions in Java.

Using the GNU gettext approach, compiled message catalogs are normal Java ResourceBundle classes and are thus interoperable with standard ResourceBundle based code.

The main differences between the Sun ResourceBundle approach and the GNU gettext approach are:

  • In the Sun approach, the keys are abstract textual shortcuts. In the GNU gettext approach, the keys are the English/ASCII version of the messages.
  • In the Sun approach, the translation files are called "Resource_locale.properties" and have non-ASCII characters encoded in the Java \unnnn syntax. Very few editors can natively display international characters in this format. In the GNU gettext approach, the translation files are called "Resource.locale.po" and are in the encoding the translator has chosen. Many editors can be used. There are at least three GUI translating tools (Emacs PO mode, KDE KBabel, GNOME gtranslator).
  • In the Sun approach, the function ResourceBundle.getString throws a MissingResourceException when no translation is found. In the GNU gettext approach, the gettext function returns the (English) message key in that case.
  • In the Sun approach, there is no support for plural handling. Even the most elaborate MessageFormat strings cannot provide decent plural handling. In the GNU gettext approach, we have the ngettext function.

To compile GNU gettext message catalogs into Java ResourceBundle classes, the msgfmt program can be used.

Author:
Bruno Haible

  • Field Details

    • verbose

      public static boolean verbose

  • Constructor Details

  • Method Details

    • gettext

      public static String gettext​(ResourceBundle catalog, String msgid)
      Returns the translation of msgid.
      Parameters:
      catalog - a ResourceBundle
      msgid - the key string to be translated, an ASCII string
      Returns:
      the translation of msgid, or msgid if none is found

    • ngettext

      public static String ngettext​(ResourceBundle catalog, String msgid, String msgid_plural, long n)
      Returns the plural form for n of the translation of msgid.
      Parameters:
      catalog - a ResourceBundle
      msgid - the key string to be translated, an ASCII string
      msgid_plural - its English plural form
      Returns:
      the translation of msgid depending on n, or msgid or msgid_plural if none is found

    • pgettext

      public static String pgettext​(ResourceBundle catalog, String msgctxt, String msgid)
      Returns the translation of msgid in the context of msgctxt.
      Parameters:
      catalog - a ResourceBundle
      msgctxt - the context for the key string, an ASCII string
      msgid - the key string to be translated, an ASCII string
      Returns:
      the translation of msgid, or msgid if none is found

    • npgettext

      public static String npgettext​(ResourceBundle catalog, String msgctxt, String msgid, String msgid_plural, long n)
      Returns the plural form for n of the translation of msgid in the context of msgctxt.
      Parameters:
      catalog - a ResourceBundle
      msgctxt - the context for the key string, an ASCII string
      msgid - the key string to be translated, an ASCII string
      msgid_plural - its English plural form
      Returns:
      the translation of msgid depending on n, or msgid or msgid_plural if none is found