gettext-0.12-pre4 and libiconv-1.9-pre1 available for testing

[Bruno Haible]

   http://www.haible.de/bruno/gnu/gettext-0.12-pre4.tar.gz
   http://www.haible.de/bruno/gnu/libiconv-1.9-pre1.tar.gz

This is a test release of GNU gettext and GNU libiconv.  Please do not
send reports about this release to any GNU mailing list or newsgroup.
Please send comments and problems to <bruno at clisp.org>.

Note that test release numbers cannot be given as argument to the "autopoint"
program. Therefore please don't use the "gettextize" program of this test
release on projects which you share with other programmers via CVS.

Since this is the last prerelease before the release, this is an
opportunity for the VMS, OS/2, DJGPP and Woe32 porters to give it some
final testing and maybe additional support patches.


News for gettext (since 0.11.5):

* The gettext package is now separated into two subpackages:
  - gettext-runtime: Runtime libraries and programs.
  - gettext-tools: Tools and documentation for developers and translators.
  The 'gettext-runtime' package is very small and should be installed on every
  system that has users who desire to use internationalization. Whereas the
  'gettext-tools' package is only for developers and translators.

* The po/Makevars file has a new field MSGID_BUGS_ADDRESS, which program
  maintainers should fill in, to help feedback from the translators to the
  program maintainers.
  xgettext, accordingly, has a new option --msgid-bugs-address.

* Programming languages support:

  - C++

    A new C++ class, called gnu::autosprintf, makes it possible to use
    C format strings in C++. This is needed for proper internationalization
    of C++ programs.

  - Java

    All the tools that manipulate PO files can work with .properties files
    as well, if given the --properties-input and/or --properties-output
    option. To create a .properties file from a PO or POT file, use
    "msgcat --properties-output".

  - Smalltalk

    xgettext now also supports Smalltalk.

  - PHP

    xgettext now also supports PHP.

  - Python

    "xgettext --language=Python" now supports the plural handling functions
    ngettext, dngettext, ungettext (introduced in Python 2.3).

  - A new autoconf macro AM_PO_SUBDIRS is added. It is like AM_GNU_GETTEXT,
    for packages written in other languages than C/C++.

* A new include file libgettextpo, with public header file "gettext-po.h",
  provides functions for reading PO files into memory. It is useful for
  applying PO files to areas not covered by the GNU gettext programs.
  New documentation section:
  - Writing your own programs that process PO files.

* New documentation sections:
  - Prioritizing messages: How to determine which messages to translate first.
  - Names: Marking Proper Names for Translation.

* xgettext now supports msgid strings in other encodings than ASCII.
  xgettext has a new option --from-code that specifies the encoding of the
  source files. The resulting POT files are UTF-8 encoded.

* Tools for translators:

  - msgmerge has a new option -N/--no-fuzzy-matching that inhibits the fuzzy
    search for untranslated messages.

  - msgattrib has new options --only-file and --ignore-file that cause the
    specified attribute manipulation to apply to selected messages only.

* Compatibility with automake-1.7.

* In documentation section po/LINGUAS:
  - Document the optional "languages" address@hidden and address@hidden

* New configuration option --enable-relocatable.  See the INSTALL file for
  details.


News for libiconv (since 1.8):

* Many more transliterations.

* New configuration option --enable-relocatable.  See the INSTALL.generic file
  for details.


Bruno