Re: gettext msgfmt doesn't ignore duplicate msgid in different domain when -o

[Bruno Haible]

Leon Ho wrote:
> For all of the developers to have easy access on the descriptions. I am
> copying it to here:

Thanks.

> When '-o output-file' or '--output-file=output-file' option is specified,
> msgfmt(1) doesn't ignore duplicate msgids in the portable object file.
> According to 'LI18NUX 2000 Globalization Specification',
> when '-o output-file' or '--output-file=output-file' option is specified,
> all domain directives and duplicate msgids in the .po file must be
> ignored.

'LI18NUX 2000 Globalization Specification' has evolved into (and been
obsoleted by) the OpenI18N specification 1.3
http://www.openi18n.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Sections&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=53&page=1

It doesn't contain the specification about msgfmt any more, because this
one has been moved to LSB (http://www.linuxbase.org/spec/). LSB 1.3 contains
the same text as you say, however the LSB 1.96 has this instead:
   "If multiple domains or duplicate
    msgids in the .po file are present, the behavior is unspecified."

So I conclude that the LI18NUX 2000 and LSB 1.3 specifications were too
strict on this issue, and the spec was relaxed to follow the changed
behaviour of GNU msgfmt.

Bruno