Re: address@hidden: Re: [PATCH] I18n flag for msgfmt]

[Bruno Haible]

Paul Eggert wrote:
> That goes a bit too far, as "%d" is sometimes correct regardless of
> locale.  For example, POSIX requires that plain "diff" must use %d for
> line numbers, regardless of locale...

It's normal: "diff"'s output is meant as input to other programs. However,
gettext is mostly used by programs whose output is directed to end users.

> For example, there's no portable way
> to print off_t values using printf (until we can assume C99
> everywhere), so many applications use their own code that divide by 10
> and print the off_t values directly.  If gettext were to support the
> C99 printf formats (even on non-C99 hosts), that would address much of
> this problem, but it raises other problems and I worry that we may be
> trying to fold too much functionality into gettext.

I agree: People should not need to use <libintl.h> just in order to use
off_t values in printf(). Programs that want to print off_t values and at
the same time be portable should IMO cast the off_t value to intmax_t and
use PRIdMAX from <inttypes.h> (or an <inttypes.h> substitute).

Bruno