Re: XIM, kinput2 & Tk

[jwb@example.com (Jim Breen)]

>> From: "Stephen J. Turnbull" <turnbull@example.com>
>> >>>>> "Jim" == Jim Breen <jwb@example.com> writes:
>> 
>>     >>> No, you tell them to go to Mama Microsoft.  That's what
>>     >>> Microsoft is for.
>> 
>>     Jim> Now, now. Even in the *nix world that's totally heretical.
>> 
>> I'm serious.  Right now that is often the right solution.  Microsoft
>> can afford to throw a few million dollars at these problems to make
>> sure the apps work for the vast majority of Microsoft users (even if
>> they're horribly broken from the point of view of others).  We can't.

OK. It sounded like the "go to Mama Microsoft" was the long-term
recommendation. MS spend more than just a few million. Moreover, it
eventually recognised that the original catalogue-based approach was
inadequate. I quizzed RMS in public on this a year or so ago, and he
said that all that was needed was gettext(). In other words he was
in the same position MS was in 4 years ago.
 
>> What's so heretical about admitting that things are broken now, but
>> that there will probably be a consensus solution within a year or two,
>> and that in five years most apps will be using it?

Since you've stated there is a way to go, I graciously absolve you.

>> I don't understand what you're trying to advocate.  Things _are_
>> broken now, they will _stay_ broken (although details of which apps
>> are broken how will change from week to week) until we put general
>> solutions in place and convert blinkered developers and legacy apps to
>> use them.  The general solution we have _now_ is POSIX locales.  All
>> else is vapor.  So what do you want?

I'd like to see a formal structure for using multiple languages, i.e.
codesets, collating sequences and IMs. AFAIK this needs extensions
beyond the basic POSIX model, e.g. GNU's LANGUAGE list. I'd like also to
see more effort and coordination of utilities and user interfaces so we
are not stuck with hand-crafted wrappers and the like.

-- 
Jim Breen  [jwb@example.com  http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~jwb/]
Visiting Professor, Institute for the Study of Languages and Cultures of 
Asia and Africa, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Japan
+81 3 5974 3880         [$B%8%`!&%V%j!<%s(B@$BEl5~30Bg(B]