Hi, all,
    Scanning the D language specs, I notice that the locale support is
missing from the core language. Many forerunners of D had the same issues
with the locale support retro-fitted as an after thought and generally quite
complex. Since D seems tackle many similar issues at the language level, I
would like to know the rationale behind leaving this important feature out.

Cheers,
Sarat

Sarat Venugopal wrote:
> Hi, all,
>     Scanning the D language specs, I notice that the locale support is
> missing from the core language. Many forerunners of D had the same issues
> with the locale support retro-fitted as an after thought and generally quite
> complex. Since D seems tackle many similar issues at the language level, I
> would like to know the rationale behind leaving this important feature out.
> 
> Cheers,
> Sarat

http://www.digitalmars.com/d/version.html

Does version() fall short of your needs?  I've never done any localization, so I don't know exactly what the limitations of version() would be.  Walter tends to be open to suggestions if you make a proposal.  I attached an example of how version might be used for localization.  It's simplistic, but it compiles.

Justin

Support for locales involves more that just strings - things like formatting dates, numbers, monetary quantities and so on.

Internationalization and easy localization abilities must be built into any modern language. I do realize that it is not something most people enjoy doing.

Cheers,
Sarat

"J C Calvarese" <jcc7@cox.net> wrote in message news:blsrud$9ql$1@digitaldaemon.com...
> Sarat Venugopal wrote:
> > Hi, all,
> >     Scanning the D language specs, I notice that the locale support is
> > missing from the core language. Many forerunners of D had the same
issues
> > with the locale support retro-fitted as an after thought and generally
quite
> > complex. Since D seems tackle many similar issues at the language level,
I
> > would like to know the rationale behind leaving this important feature
out.
> >
> > Cheers,
> > Sarat
>
> http://www.digitalmars.com/d/version.html
>
> Does version() fall short of your needs?  I've never done any localization, so I don't know exactly what the limitations of version() would be.  Walter tends to be open to suggestions if you make a proposal.  I attached an example of how version might be used for localization.  It's simplistic, but it compiles.
>
> Justin
>


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----


> /*
>
> locales.d
>
> Author:  Justin C Calvarese
> Date:    October 6, 2003
> License: Public Domain
>
> Demonstrates using version() to handle different locales.
>
> Compile for the English locale:
> dmd locales.d -version=English
>
> Compile for the German locale:
> dmd locales.d -version=Deutsch
>
> */
>
> version(English)
> {
> const char[] salutation = "Hi";
> const char[] negative = "No";
> }
>
> version(Espanol)
> {
> const char[] salutation = "Hola";
> const char[] negative = "No";
> }
>
> version(Francais)
> {
> const char[] salutation = "Bonjour";
> const char[] negative = "Non";
> }
>
> version(Deutsch)
> {
> const char[] salutation = "Hallo";
> const char[] negative = "Nein";
> }
>
>
> int main()
> {
> printf("%.*s\n", salutation);
> return 0;
>  }

Sarat Venugopal wrote:
> 
> Support for locales involves more that just strings - things like formatting dates, numbers, monetary quantities and so on.
> 
> Internationalization and easy localization abilities must be built into any modern language. I do realize that it is not something most people enjoy doing.

I agree with you.

I would even add that this localization must be independent from the system configuration and changeable at runtime within the applications.

I think that those most affected - are you from India? - should put forward a draft or specification that meets their demand.

-- 
Helmut Leitner    leitner@hls.via.at
Graz, Austria   www.hls-software.com

"Helmut Leitner" <leitner@hls.via.at> wrote in message news:3F82B9CD.AC87585@hls.via.at...

> I would even add that this localization must be independent from the
system
> configuration and changeable at runtime within the applications.

I think this aspect is more of an application level issue, though.

> I think that those most affected - are you from India? - should put forward a draft or specification that meets their demand.

I am an Indian, but based in Singapore. The most affected, however, are in China, Japan, Korea, parts of Europe, and South America. The issue is not whether the programmer is affeted; rather the target market for the application. I am involved in (consumer) applications that are localized in as many as 26 languages!

I'll have to dig a bit deeper into D before I get involved.

Cheers,
Sarat

"Sarat Venugopal" <sarat_ng@n0spam.huelix.com> wrote in message news:blqtr8$5dm$1@digitaldaemon.com...
> Hi, all,
>     Scanning the D language specs, I notice that the locale support is
> missing from the core language. Many forerunners of D had the same issues
> with the locale support retro-fitted as an after thought and generally
quite
> complex. Since D seems tackle many similar issues at the language level, I would like to know the rationale behind leaving this important feature
out.

Locales are important, and are unaddressed at this point by the D library. The D core language itself, however, has pretty good support for unicode source and unicode strings.

Sarat Venugopal wrote:
> Support for locales involves more that just strings - things like formatting dates, numbers, monetary quantities and so on.

As far as I can tell these issues can be approached either by using version() and then compiling separate executables (as in the attached date example), or by creating a library with all of the localities and compiling support for all of the localities into the same executable. Is this different than what you were expecting?

> 
> Internationalization and easy localization abilities must be built into any modern language. I do realize that it is not something most people enjoy doing.

Is there a programming language that you think has done it correctly or come close to your preferred method?  For example, do you like Java's Locale class (java.util)?

> 
> Cheers,
> Sarat

Sincerely,
Justin