gettext: Fuzzy Entries

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1 8.3.6 Fuzzy Entries
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1 
1    Each PO file entry may have a set of "attributes", which are
1 qualities given a name and explicitly associated with the translation,
1 using a special system comment.  One of these attributes has the name
1 ‘fuzzy’, and entries having this attribute are said to have a fuzzy
1 translation.  They are called fuzzy entries, for short.
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1    Fuzzy entries, even if they account for translated entries for most
1 other purposes, usually call for revision by the translator.  Those may
1 be produced by applying the program ‘msgmerge’ to update an older
1 translated PO files according to a new PO template file, when this tool
1 hypothesises that some new ‘msgid’ has been modified only slightly out
1 of an older one, and chooses to pair what it thinks to be the old
1 translation for the new modified entry.  The slight alteration in the
1 original string (the ‘msgid’ string) should often be reflected in the
1 translated string, and this requires the intervention of the translator.
1 For this reason, ‘msgmerge’ might mark some entries as being fuzzy.
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1    Also, the translator may decide herself to mark an entry as fuzzy for
1 her own convenience, when she wants to remember that the entry has to be
1 later revisited.  So, some commands are more specifically related to
1 fuzzy entry processing.
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1 ‘f’
1      Find the next fuzzy entry (‘po-next-fuzzy-entry’).
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1 ‘F’
1      Find the previous fuzzy entry (‘po-previous-fuzzy-entry’).
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1 ‘<TAB>’
1      Remove the fuzzy attribute of the current entry (‘po-unfuzzy’).
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1    The commands ‘f’ (‘po-next-fuzzy-entry’) and ‘F’
1 (‘po-previous-fuzzy-entry’) move forwards or backwards, chasing for a
1 fuzzy entry.  If none is found, the search is extended and wraps around
1 in the PO file buffer.
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1    The command ‘<TAB>’ (‘po-unfuzzy’) removes the fuzzy attribute
1 associated with an entry, usually leaving it translated.  Further, if
1 the variable ‘po-auto-select-on-unfuzzy’ has not the ‘nil’ value, the
1 ‘<TAB>’ command will automatically chase for another interesting entry
1 to work on.  The initial value of ‘po-auto-select-on-unfuzzy’ is ‘nil’.
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1    The initial value of ‘po-auto-fuzzy-on-edit’ is ‘nil’.  However, if
1 the variable ‘po-auto-fuzzy-on-edit’ is set to ‘t’, any entry edited
1 through the ‘<RET>’ command is marked fuzzy, as a way to ensure some
1 kind of double check, later.  In this case, the usual paradigm is that
1 an entry becomes fuzzy (if not already) whenever the translator modifies
1 it.  If she is satisfied with the translation, she then uses ‘<TAB>’ to
1 pick another entry to work on, clearing the fuzzy attribute on the same
1 blow.  If she is not satisfied yet, she merely uses ‘<SPC>’ to chase
1 another entry, leaving the entry fuzzy.
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1    The translator may also use the ‘<DEL>’ command (‘po-fade-out-entry’)
1 over any translated entry to mark it as being fuzzy, when she wants to
1 easily leave a trace she wants to later return working at this entry.
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1    Also, when time comes to quit working on a PO file buffer with the
1 ‘q’ command, the translator is asked for confirmation, if fuzzy string
1 still exists.
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