Re: New external dependecy request (ICU)

[Keld Jørn Simonsen <keld dkuug dk>]

On Wed, Jan 07, 2004 at 09:43:59AM -0500, Jody Goldberg wrote:
> On Tue, Jan 06, 2004 at 02:12:24PM +0100, Carlos Perell? Mar?n wrote:
> > I'm back to my initial idea of develop my own library based on iso-codes
> > database (extending it).
> > 
> > As Daniel told here (I did not look at that, my fault), the libicu
> > library size is 7Mb, without translations!!!, the translations are +4Mb
> > 
> > The ideal solution will be that all libc libraries added this
> > information, that's true, but if we add it now, it cannot be used until
> > that version becomes widely used.
> > 
> > For example, to get the same functionality icu gives but using libc +
> > gettext + extra library we need to I'm evaluating now the possibility to
> > use setlocale to retrieve other languages information, but it only works
> > if it's a single thread application. setlocale is not multithread safe.
> > 
> > Now, since glibc 2.3.0 we have a new function called uselocale, that
> > fixes that problem but we can only use it with recent systems and only
> > with glibc. What happens with *BSD, Solaris and "put here your preferred
> > nonglibc system"? How could we get it?
> 
> While it would indeed be nice to have a more powerful locale system
> icu does not seem like the best way to do that right now.  Its just
> too damn large for what is essentially a glib level dependency.
> 
> Nor do I think we should add it to just the proposed capplet.  Do we
> have any notion of which pieces of icu are useful ?  Potentially
> using an approach similar to mono and just extracting that data.

I am the editor of the ISO TR 14652 which is close to what is
implemented in glibc. I am open for suggestions to enhancements to that
specification. 

The most recent publically available specification of TR 14652 is
available at:
http://std.dkuug.dk/JTC1/SC22/WG20/docs/n972-14652ft.pdf
It is decided by ISO that this specification will be available freely on
the net, also in it official final form.

best regards
keld