Re: gettext: --no-hash in msgmft

[Carles Pina i Estany]

Hi,

On Nov/26/2009, Robert Millan wrote:
> On Wed, Nov 25, 2009 at 10:31:04PM +0000, Carles Pina i Estany wrote:
> > 
> > Hello,
> > 
> > I'm thinking to disable the hash table in the .mo files. It's not used
> > in Grub Kernel and it makes the size 10% bigger:
> > 
> > In a 473 sentences po file with hash it's 30633 bytes and without 28109,
> > so it 's not a big difference.
> > 
> > Do we want to disable or it's just some KB in /boot/grub and we don't
> > really mind?
> > 
> > Explanation: the .mo files has a hash table (by default) but gettext
> > grub module is not using the hash table (it does search by bisection).
> > 
> > Why?
> > a) code simpler and smaller
> > b) for the number of strings the speed is not a big difference*
> > c) less space used in /boot/grub/locale
> 
> Makes sense for .mo files that we use in GRUB, but what about the
> system-wide .mo file, which is used by GRUB utilities?  I assume
> gettext takes advantage of this hash table.

Jordi already answered with some ideas and others as well. Just one
note: I haven't measured but I'm very sure that the speed for the user
is mainly the same with and without hash. It's Grub, not OpenOffice or a
big project with more strings (even thought we have more strings that I
guessed)

> Is it possible to strip the hash table when installing .mo files to
> /boot/grub ?  (Btw, our scripts don't install .mo files to /boot yet,
> currently user has to do this manually)

As has been said: msguunfmt, I don't see any option to strip the hash.

-- 
Carles Pina i Estany
        http://pinux.info