morten@modulex.dk (Morten Hastrup) (07/14/90)
When developing portable UNIX-applications that supports NLS, I have discovered
some confusion in X/OPEN Portability Guide (XPG3).
This can be divided into 3 areas, namely:
1. Directory structure. XPG3 does not define any directory structure for the
NLS databases. I am aware of XPG3, vol. 3, setc. 5.4., about search and
convention. But this is not clear. Witch leads to 3 subquestions:
a. Is this dictated by the platform vendor? And witch hardware platform(s)
do you use?
b. How is the conversionrule database etc. (i.e. used by LC_COLLATE,
LC_CTYPE, LC_TIME, ..) organized? DEC usage /usr/lib/intln/%c/%L, is this
a common definition among other vendors? Or is it /nlslib/%c/%L?
And is the databases (configuration data, collating sequence, etc.) made
into one database or one for each (say ENG_GB.8859)?
Is it possible to avoid conflict among our own databases and vendor made
databases?
c. Where is the program catalogues (i.e. created with "gencat"-compiler) put?
How to avoid conflict among diffrent applications that could have the
same name?
2. Environment variable. Why is it that XPG3 DOES define an environment variable
(namely NLSPATH) for message catalogues, but NOT for the rest of the NLS
databases? Do I miss something?
I have tried to make it work with ":"
(i.e. setenv NLSPATH /usr/lib/intln/%N/%l/%N.cat:/usr/lib/intln/%c/%L).
Then I discovered that DEC defines an variable called INTLINFO.
Question: Does NLSPATH describes the search path for all NLS databases? If
not what does?
3. Database names. When searching after standard names, XPG3 leaves me without
any answer. I know that XPG3 write fx. GER_DE.8859 for germany_deutchland.
iso8859-1, but this is not clearly defined.
Question: How is these names decleard?
So please, if YOU know something about this subject, post you answer to the
group (or mail me, I'll then summarize the mail I receive and post it to the
group.).
Finally, if YOU are from X/OPEN, you must feel obligated to answer?!!
--
Morten Hastrup <morten@modulex.dk>
A/S MODULEX Phone: +45 44 53 30 11
Lyskaer 15 Telefax: +45 44 53 30 74
DK-2730 Herlev
Denmark