The _ function is for translating strings into the user's chosen
language. The N_ macro just marks translatable strings for the
xgettext(1) tool without translating them; it is intended for use in
contexts where a function call cannot be used. So, for example:
fprintf(stderr, _("Expansion of alias '%s' failed; "
"'%s' is not a git command\n"),
cmd, argv[0]);
and
const char *unpack_plumbing_errors[NB_UNPACK_TREES_ERROR_TYPES] = {
/* ERROR_WOULD_OVERWRITE */
N_("Entry '%s' would be overwritten by merge. Cannot merge."),
[...]
Define such _ and N_ in a new gettext.h and include it in cache.h, so
they can be used everywhere. Each just returns its argument for now.
_ is a function rather than a macro like N_ to avoid the temptation to
use _("foo") as a string literal (which would be a compile-time error
once _(s) expands to an expression for the translation of s).
Signed-off-by: Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason <avarab@gmail.com>
Signed-off-by: Jonathan Nieder <jrnieder@gmail.com>
Signed-off-by: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
