Re: Bug#440710: gettext: msgfmt -c: number of format specifications in 'msgid' and 'msgstr[0]' does not match (fwd)

[Chusslove Illich]

> [: Jens Seidel :]
> msgfmt --check complains on a valid file:
>
>   ru.po:11: number of format specifications in 'msgid' and 'msgstr[0]' does 
> not match
>   msgfmt: found 1 fatal error

The attached PO snippet is in fact not valid:

  msgid ""
  msgstr ""
  "Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8\n"
  "Plural-Forms:  nplurals=3; plural=(n%10==1 && n%100!=11 ? 0 : n%10>=2 && n%"
  "10<=4 && (n%100<10 || n%100>=20) ? 1 : 2);\n"

  #: hex_puzzzle.cpp:1567
  #, c-format
  msgid "Complete 1  more level  to unlock!"
  msgid_plural "Complete %d  more levels  to unlock!"
  msgstr[0] "Осталось пройти ещё один!"
  msgstr[1] "Нужно пройти ещё %d!"
  msgstr[2] "Нужно пройти ещё %d!"

because msgstr[0] does not contain %d, but it will be used for all numbers
ending with 1 and not with 11.

I think Russian plural is same as Serbian, and we had the same problem as in
this example: sometimes the form for exactly 1 should be entirely distinct
from other forms. So we use a 4-plural header, which puts the "exactly 1"
form on msgstr[3]:

  msgid ""
  msgstr ""
  "Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8\n"
  "Plural-Forms: nplurals=4; plural=n==1 ? 3 : n%10==1 && n%100!=11 ? 0 : n%"
  "10>=2 && n%10<=4 && (n%100<10 || n%100>=20) ? 1 : 2;\n"

  #: hex_puzzzle.cpp:1567
  #, c-format
  msgid "Complete 1  more level  to unlock!"
  msgid_plural "Complete %d  more levels  to unlock!"
  msgstr[0] "Нужно пройти ещё %d!"
  msgstr[1] "Нужно пройти ещё %d!"
  msgstr[2] "Нужно пройти ещё %d!"
  msgstr[3] "Осталось пройти ещё один!"

To put the extra form at the end is convenient for compatibility with older
translations: if the plural header is changed to 4 forms, but the existing
messages are not updated and msgstr[3] is missing, msgstr[0] will be used
instead -- precisely what is best to happen. (Although, since this is highly
language dependent, I wonder if such behavior is guaranteed/intentional on
part of gettext, or just an implementation detail?)

-- 
Chusslove Illich (Часлав Илић)

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