Translations under Version Control? (GNU gettext utilities)

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14.7.4 Put the PO Files under Version Control or not? ¶

The PO files produced by translators are source files. Whether they are put under version control, is related to how the fetch-po script operates.

• In packages whose translators commit their PO files directly into the version control of the package, or where a translations project’s daemon does this automatically on behalf of the translators, they are in version control. This is the case where the fetch-po script does not do anything.
• In packages where the translations are collected by a translation project, the maintainer has the choice:
  • He may want to rely on this translation project only. This means:
    • He will not put the PO files under version control.
    • Instead he will list them in the .gitignore file.
    • In the script that fetches auxiliary sources from other places in the internet, typically called ‘autopull.sh’ or ‘bootstrap --pull’, he will have an invocation

      (cd po && ./fetch-po)
      

    • The fetch-po script will have a po-fetch invocation without the --git option.

    The net effect is that the developers will access the translation project’s site regularly, namely each time they execute the ‘autopull.sh’ script.

  • Or he may want to use the package’s version control as a “cache” for the PO files from the translation project. This means:
    • He will put the PO files under version control.
    • The ‘autopull.sh’ or ‘bootstrap --pull’ script is not modified.
    • The fetch-po script will have a po-fetch invocation with the --git option.
    • Before making a release, the maintainer will run

      (cd po && ./fetch-po)
      

      and commit the changed or added or removed files in the po/ directory.

    The net effect is that only the maintainer will access the translation project’s site, and only when making a release. In all other situations, the developers will be using the PO files from the package’s version control.

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