Re: [Bug-gnulib] 4-gary-version-etc-full-author-string.patch

[Bruno Haible]

Jim Meyering wrote:

> > c) Let the translator translate
> >          "Written by %s, %s, and %s.\n"
> >    and   "Written by %s, %s, %s, and %s.\n"
> >    and at runtime interpolate between the two translations. Like this:
>
> Good idea. ... it'd be best to
> hear from the translators...

Well, our most reliable way of getting feedback from the translators is
to actually implement something and wait for bug reports. I cannot explain
the sketched string manipulation algorithm in such a way that translators
(not programmers!) would understand whether it works for their language.

> My only reservation is that I seem to recall there are some languages
> that handle certain numbers differently than others.  For example, if
> there are 5 items or 10, then the translation would be irregular.

This is about numbers and plurals; I'm not aware of such irregularities
in unnumbered enumerations in any language.

Bruno