Re: Bug#114461: gettext: there is no way to control where message catalogs are found at run time (fwd)

[Bruno Haible]

Paul Eggert wrote:
> POSIX 1003.1-2001 specifies an NLSPATH environment variable for this
> purpose.  POSIX requires only only the catopen family of functions,
> but it's natural for the gettext family to use NLSPATH too, and that
> is how Solaris gettext(3c) does things.  Shouldn't the GNU gettext
> function family support NLSPATH?

I don't think this is possible without major hassles. NLSPATH (see its
description in susv3/basedefs/xbd_chap08.html) contains filename
templates, usually ending in ".cat". If we were to add ".mo" file
templates there as well, it's likely that catopen attempts to open
a .mo file, or that gettext attempts to open a .cat file. Furthermore
NLSPATH usually points into $prefix/lib, whereas .mo files are located
in $prefix/share.

Bruno