use proper gettext plurals forms in argparse and optparse

[dwayne]

BPO	4391
Nosy	@birkenfeld, @mitsuhiko, @merwok
Files	optparse_proper_gettext_plurals.diff: Patch to use ngettext for plural entries optparse_proper_gettext_plurals.diff: Patch to use ngettext for plural entries fix-argparse-ngettext.diff fix-optparse-ngettext.diff

^{Note: these values reflect the state of the issue at the time it was migrated and might not reflect the current state.}

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GitHub fields:

assignee = 'https://github.com/merwok'
closed_at = <Date 2011-03-20.19:06:48.525>
created_at = <Date 2008-11-22.21:44:27.655>
labels = ['easy', 'type-bug', 'library']
title = 'use proper gettext plurals forms in argparse and optparse'
updated_at = <Date 2011-03-20.19:06:48.524>
user = 'https://bugs.python.org/dwayne'

bugs.python.org fields:

activity = <Date 2011-03-20.19:06:48.524>
actor = 'python-dev'
assignee = 'eric.araujo'
closed = True
closed_date = <Date 2011-03-20.19:06:48.525>
closer = 'python-dev'
components = ['Library (Lib)']
creation = <Date 2008-11-22.21:44:27.655>
creator = 'dwayne'
dependencies = []
files = ['12107', '12108', '19941', '20164']
hgrepos = []
issue_num = 4391
keywords = ['patch', 'easy', 'needs review']
message_count = 15.0
messages = ['76260', '76261', '76262', '107561', '120530', '121539', '123286', '123373', '123375', '123377', '123418', '124576', '124644', '127755', '131526']
nosy_count = 8.0
nosy_names = ['gward', 'georg.brandl', 'bethard', 'LambertDW', 'aronacher', 'eric.araujo', 'dwayne', 'python-dev']
pr_nums = []
priority = 'normal'
resolution = 'fixed'
stage = 'resolved'
status = 'closed'
superseder = None
type = 'behavior'
url = 'https://bugs.python.org/issue4391'
versions = ['Python 3.3']

[dwayne]

The following code in optparse:

            if len(rargs) < nargs:
                if nargs == 1:
                    self.error(_("%s option requires an argument") % opt)
                else:
                    self.error(_("%s option requires %d arguments")
                               % (opt, nargs))

works for languages with plurals of n!=1 but will not work for many
others that have more sophisticated plurals.

I've created a patch that handles missing gettext and implements it
correctly if it is available. Be aware that I have not been able to test
the patch.

[lambertdw]

And while at it, replace "usage" with "Use".
"Usage" isn't a word.

[dwayne]

Mmm some problems with my head late at night. This patch sorts things
out and makes sure strings can be extracted by xgettext

[merwok]

Thanks for your patch. I have some remarks:

1. please produce a patch from the top level of a Python checkout (cf. http://www.python.org/dev/patches/);
2. wrap lines under 80 characters;
3. bug with %-formatting: the singular message takes one arg, the plural two (optparse bug, not your patch’s bug, but the patch should fix it too);
4. “usage” has been used for decades in command line parsing, it’s fine.

I’m adding Armin to the nosy list since he’s listed in py3k/Misc/maintainers.rst

[merwok]

Now that argparse has been included in the standard library to supersede optparse, I’m not sure there is still value in fixing this bug.

[merwok]

optparse is widely used, so the answer to my question is: yes, it is worth fixing. Checking argparse for the same errors is also a good idea.

Dwayne: can you update your patch to address my remarks? If not, someone else or I may do it. Adding the “easy” keyword for potential bug-day contributors.

[merwok]

I just checked argparse and there are similar non-optimal calls. Not all languages can use “string(s)” to express with 0, 1 or more, that’s why we have ngettext.

Georg: This is a string change similar to bpo-10528. Does it need a patch and review before the beta1 too?

[merwok]

Attached patch fixes the two misuses I found in argparse.

I tried importing ngettext as _ngettext to comply with arpgarse’s crazy^Wpersonal <wink> import style (enforced in TestImportStar), but then I could not force xgettext to find all the strings. Rather than struggle longer with the program, I chose to add an exception for ngettext in the test. “from argparse import *” does not import ngettext, thanks to __all__, so I think my choice is simple and sensible.

[merwok]

Georg approved my patch for the beta1. Steven, since you approved my other gettext-related changes, we thing it’s okay if I don’t wait for your +1.

For optparse, I will review the changes later.

[merwok]

Revision 87056

[bethard]

The workaround in TestImportStar is fine. The test is really just meant to make sure that __all__ contains all the current API methods, and the "_" checks were the easiest way at the time to check that.

[merwok]

Updated patch for optparse. Georg: Is this okay for 3.2?

Based on Steven’s decision for another patch that changed strings, these fixes won’t be backported.

[merwok]

Previous version was incomplete.

[merwok]

Looks like this will have to wait for 3.3, unfortunately.

[python-dev]

New changeset 4a5782a2b074 by Éric Araujo in branch 'default':
Use proper gettext plural forms in optparse (closes bpo-4391).
http://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/4a5782a2b074