diff --git a/docs/topics/i18n/translation.txt b/docs/topics/i18n/translation.txt index cc4c24d364..f3f871617b 100644 --- a/docs/topics/i18n/translation.txt +++ b/docs/topics/i18n/translation.txt @@ -206,7 +206,9 @@ For example:: In this example the number of objects is passed to the translation languages as the ``count`` variable. -Lets see a slightly more complex usage example:: +Note that pluralization is complicated and works differently in each language. +Comparing ``count`` to 1 isn't always the correct rule. This code looks +sophisticated, but will produce incorrect results for some languages:: from django.utils.translation import ungettext from myapp.models import Report @@ -218,42 +220,45 @@ Lets see a slightly more complex usage example:: name = Report._meta.verbose_name_plural text = ungettext( - 'There is %(count)d %(name)s available.', - 'There are %(count)d %(name)s available.', - count + 'There is %(count)d %(name)s available.', + 'There are %(count)d %(name)s available.', + count ) % { 'count': count, 'name': name } -Here we reuse localizable, hopefully already translated literals (contained in -the ``verbose_name`` and ``verbose_name_plural`` model ``Meta`` options) for -other parts of the sentence so all of it is consistently based on the -cardinality of the elements at play. +Don't try to implement your own singular-or-plural logic, it won't be correct. +In a case like this, consider something like the following:: + + text = ungettext( + 'There is %(count)d %(name)s object available.', + 'There are %(count)d %(name)s objects available.', + count + ) % { + 'count': count, + 'name': Report._meta.verbose_name, + } .. _pluralization-var-notes: .. note:: - When using this technique, make sure you use a single name for every - extrapolated variable included in the literal. In the example above note how - we used the ``name`` Python variable in both translation strings. This - example would fail:: + When using ``ungettext()``, make sure you use a single name for every + extrapolated variable included in the literal. In the examples above, note + how we used the ``name`` Python variable in both translation strings. This + example, besides being incorrect in some languages as noted above, would + fail:: - from django.utils.translation import ungettext - from myapp.models import Report - - count = Report.objects.count() - d = { - 'count': count, + text = ungettext( + 'There is %(count)d %(name)s available.', + 'There are %(count)d %(plural_name)s available.', + count + ) % { + 'count': Report.objects.count(), 'name': Report._meta.verbose_name, 'plural_name': Report._meta.verbose_name_plural } - text = ungettext( - 'There is %(count)d %(name)s available.', - 'There are %(count)d %(plural_name)s available.', - count - ) % d You would get an error when running :djadmin:`django-admin.py compilemessages `::