Re: Problem with hard-coded fonts in applications

[Pablo Saratxaga <pablo mandrakesoft com>]

Kaixo!

On Fri, Feb 16, 2001 at 10:20:38AM +0900, Yukihiro Nakai wrote:
> O> > ===>
> > > #define FIXED_12_FONT
> > > "-b&h-lucidatypewriter-medium-r-normal-*-12-*-*-*-*-*-*-*"
> 
> I suggest to all developers that it should be gettextized such as:
> 
> #define FIXED_12_FONT
>  N_("-b&h-lucidatypewriter-medium-r-normal-*-12-*-*-*-*-*-*-*")

Note that xgettext doesn't find N_() on #defines, so the string
won't show to translators...

Also, add a ",*-r-*" at the end:

#define FIXED_12_FONT N_("-b&h-lucidatypewriter-medium-r-normal-*-12-*-*-*-*-*-*-*,*-r-*")

so there is a chance of it working when no better "translation" is available.

Note also that often translators aren't aware of the X11 fontsets mechanism.

> > #define FIXED_12_FONT "-b&h-lucidatypewriter-medium-r-normal-*-12-*-*-*-*-*-*-*,*-r-*"
> 
> It means the apps will at least show the strings but very dirty.

It depends on the available fonts.
Anyway, even ugly fonts is better that unreadable "mojibake" text.

> So I recommend that the developer should let translators choose the
> lang-dependent fonts with gettext.

Yes, but the fallback "*-r-*" should always be added, simply because it will be
too painfull if the user doesn't have the font face the translator choose, and
so can't display any text.

-- 
Ki ça vos våye bén,
Pablo Saratxaga

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