2008-03-06 23:05:57

�� /Lokalizacija / NATSPEC Description �� 2008-03-06 23:05:57 � 2008-03-06 23:08:20

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The library is available at

The library is available also at ALT Linux Sisyphus Sisyphus free package repository.

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The library is available at sourceforge.net: http://sourceforge.net/projects/natspec
The library is available at ALT Linux Sisyphus free package repository. The lmost recent builds are always available on following resources:

http://etersoft.ru/download/natspec
ftp://ftp.altlinux.ru/pub/people/lav/natspec (there is a src.rpm and the latest package built)

2005-09-22 15:21:15

�� /Lokalizacija / NATSPEC Description �� 2005-09-22 15:21:15 � 2006-05-13 15:17:57

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These problems are often left without solution, or are solved by private capacity, or are fixed with patches not entirely correct.

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These problems are pften left without solution, or are solved by private capacity, or are fixed with patches not entirely correct.

2005-08-13 05:28:14

�� /Lokalizacija / NATSPEC Description �� 2005-08-13 05:28:14 � 2005-09-22 15:21:15

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Translator: Dmitry Kostrov

2005-06-24 14:01:30

�� /Lokalizacija / NATSPEC Description �� 2005-06-24 14:01:30 � 2005-08-13 05:28:14

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It would be a help for us if someone with native English would bother to style this page
NATSPEC library is intended to smooth national specificities in using of programs, to put it more exactly:

to resolve in most cases the problems with charset;
to provide various aids, which facilitate the programs localization.

Pay attention, that the program is not capable of solving national and interethnic conflicts.
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A Linux user, who really works with this system, runs into charset problems quite often: with either files content, or filenames. Users, except for those speaking Western European languages, are very often enforced to specify the encoding for content or name of the files, they deal with. It occurs at

mounting floppies, CD's and DVD's, flash disks and memory cards, brought hard disks and other kinds of removable media ;
browsing and mounting network resources, available through SAMBA;
burning optical discs (to create file system) with the help of mkisofs, growisofs commands, k3b programs, xcdroast and so forth;
texts reenconding, using feature of the mc (Midnight Commander) file manager.

Moreover, there are huge amount of programs, which usage yells for specifying the charset, but they give no option to do so:

among ftp-servers and ftp-clients;
among nfs-servers and when mounting nfs resources
almost all file systems, used for OS installation;
many multimedia players, required to choose proper audiotrack and/or subtitles for video, or needing to parse ID3 tags made by dumb mp3 encoding software.

These problems are pften left without solution, or are solved by private capacity, or are fixed with patches not entirely correct.
It turns out, that the system is required to provide by some means the answers to following questions:
One may often hear the opinion, that those questions have no general answers and essentially can't have, and thus it is neither possible nor required to look for answers to them.
To a great extent, the problem is almost resolved (assuming we do not think about compatibility completely) by total system conversion �� UTF-8 charset. Unfortunately even in this case, a number of problems would still arise (look UTF 8 Conversion Problems article)
But nobody had repealed the compatibility questions and anyway the interaction method with other operating systems (Windows, DOS, MAC) as well as with Unix-like operating systems must be settled and formulated. Especially it is important for the distribution building.
After (perhaps fluent) reviewing sources of projects like WINE, Linux kernel, gettext, Ly X?, GLIBC, GLIB, mount, submount, cdrtools, zip, dia, beep, xmms, the requirements had been formulated and library had been implamented, which provides answers for charsets questions, and also has a set of auxiliary functions, claimed by many projects.

What it is needed for

There are variety of programs, which are tightly working with charsets, but by objective circumstances they go their own way in charsets support. Just only mention mkisofs built-in support for reencoding, which using the nls, extracted from nobody knows what Linux kernel version.
This project was created for solving most questions relate to text reencoding, outside of certain program. It enhances portability and allows certain project not to distract on writing yet another crutches for resolving general system problems.
The library is not a silver bullet or heal-all, it is just a feature to inmprove data interoperability between different systems and to ease users and programmers life during current intermediate phase, when all the progressive mankind had stepped one feet into brave new UTF-8 world (no, this abbreviation doesn't belong to UFO or coffins).

How does it work

LIBNATSPEC library defines such important concepts as

other operating systems' (WIN,DOS,MAC) charset and codepage for given locale. //This works correctly only if locales supported by LIBNATSPEC and GLIBC matches)

and provides API for using them, as well as auxiliary functions, which allow:

to complete mounting parameters with charset specification with respect to file system type
to convert text strings from one charset to another, with transliteration if it is necessary to display the text while user's locale does not allow to display all the used symbols.

The design principle: All the information, obtained from library, if possible should depend on current locale.

LIBNATSPEC only suggests default mounting charset. NOBODY REMOVES the possibility to specify a charset manually. Default value just becomes not iso-8859–1, but rather the one matching current locale.

Basis for heuristic is a table, constructed with the following algorithm: By list of installed with glibc locales, main charset information located in locale, and program also, which obtains information about charsets accordance of different OS from WINE, static array is formed from, which used in library further for charset definition by locale and etc.
The library is written with C language aiming at maximally possible portability. At this moment linking needs libc and libpopt libraries. The testing at other systems hasn't took place. It has been tested on different systems such as Free BSD, Sun OS? perhaps Solaris?, Mac OS X and a number of popular GNU/Linux distro's.
For using in scripts a console program is provided, which allows to query for parameters, detected by the library. For example:

$ natspec -l – would show the system locale
$ natspec -l – would show the charset used by filenames.
$ natspec -i – output all available information

(Please, try it out and tell us your opinion about accuracy of determining situation at your machine)
example is missed
For ALT Linux and other Red Hat? descendants:
The library is available at ALT Linux Sisyphus free package repository. The lmost recent builds are always available on following resources:

ftp://ftp.altlinux.ru/pub/people/lav/natspec (there is a src.rpm and the latest package built)

With any questions you may refer to address specified at the project README file. I will be glad to help with preparing this library for your distribution.

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NATSPEC library designed for smoothing national specificities during the using of programs, to put it more exactly:

for resolving problems with charset in most cases;
for giving various auxiliary resources, which facilitate the programs localization.

Pay attention, that given program doesn't support to solve national and interethnic conflicts.
Linux user, which is really works on this system, collides with charset problems very often: either file contents, or filenames. Practically the occurences are encountered very often, when user is enforced to specify the files (names) encoding, which he deals with. It occurs at

fllopies, CD's, flash disks, brought hard disks and other carriers mounting;
network resources mounting through SAMBA;
disks recording (file system creating) with the help of mkisofs, growisofs commands, k3b programs, xcdroast and such things;
in mc file manager, if you want to use texts recoding feature included there

Moreover, there are huge amount of programs, in which it is necessary to specify the charset, but there is no opportunity to do this:

in ftp-servers and ftp-clients;
nfs-servers and at the mounting of nfs
all file systems, used for OS installation;
many multimedia players.

These problems frequently are not solved, or solved by private capacity, or by not completely correct patch.
It is became clear, that there must be an opportunity to get an answer on following questions in system:
We can hear the opinion often, that these questions doesn't have answers in common case and essentially can't have, and that is why there is no need and it is impossible to try to answer them.
In general, the situation is practically resolved (in case of compatibility completely forgetting about) by total system conversion on UTF-8 charset. Unfortunately even in this case, set of problems will rise (look UTF 8 Conversion Problems article)
But nobody has cancelled compatibility questions and in any case the interaction order as with other operating systems (Windows, DOS, MAC), so with Unix-similar operating systems must be installed and formulated. Especially it is important for the distribution building.
At (may be, fluent) code consideration of such projects as WINE, Linux kernel, gettext, Ly X?, GLIBC, GLIB, mount, submount, cdrtools, zip, dia, beep, xmms requirements were formulated and library realization was created, which let to get answers on charsets questions, and has set of auxiliary functions also, claimed in many projects.

What it is necessary for

There are variety of programs, which are tightly working with charsets, but by objective circumstance they go their own way in charsets suppport. Enough only to mention mkisofs built-in recoding support, which using the nls, extracted from nobody knows what Linux kernel version.
This project was created for resolving most questions which deals with recoding, beyond concrete program. It promotes portability and let concrete project not to distract on writing crutches for resolving general system problems.
The library is not a silver bullet or heal-all, it is just a feature to promote data portability between different systems and to facilitate users and programmers life during current intermediate phase, when all progressive humanity by one leg has moved to UTF-8 (no, this abbreviation doesn't belong to UFO or coffins).

How it works

LIBNATSPEC library determines such important concepts as
Other operating systems (WIN,DOS,MAC) charset and codepage for given locale (it works correctly only at supported locales conformity in LIBNATSPEC and GLIBC)
and provides API for their using, and auxiliary functions also, which let:

to complement mounting parameters by charsets pointing with file system type accordance
to convert lines from one charset to another, with transliteration if it is necessary (for goals of display to user in situations, when his locale doesn't let to reproduce all used symbols)

The principle of composition: All received information if it possible depends on user locale, if it is not defined, the system locale is used.
Suggested in natspec mounting charset autoinstallation exposes autodefined values by default. NOBODY HAS CANCELLED the possibility to set a charset manually. Default value just becomes not iso-8859–1, but that, which must be by locale.
Base for heuristic is a table, obtained by following algorithm: By list of installed with glibc locales, main charset information located in locale, and program also, which obtains information about charsets accordance of different OS from WINE, static array is formed from, which used in library further for charset definition by locale and etc.
The library is written with C language with care of maximally possible portability. At this moment linking needs libc and libpopt libraries. The testing at other systems hasn't took place.
There is a console program, which let to get options, defined in library. For example:

$ natspec -l – to show system locale

$ natspec -i – output all available information
(Please, look at and express your notes about situation definition quality on your machine)
For ALT Linux:
The library is available in ALT Linux Sisyphus free packets repository. The library last versions are always available on following resources:

ftp://ftp.altlinux.ru/pub/people/lav/natspec (there is a src.rpm here and the latest packet assembly also)

With any questions you may refer to address specified at the project README file. I will be glad to help to prepare this library for your distribution.

2005-05-21 15:19:58

�� /Lokalizacija / NATSPEC Description �� 2005-05-21 15:19:58 � 2005-06-24 14:01:30

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fllopies, CD's, flash disks, brought hard disks and other carriers mounting;

Moreover, there are huge amount of programs, in which it is necessary to specify the charset, but there is no opportunity to do this:

in ftp-servers and ftp-clients;
nfs-servers and at the mounting of nfs
all file systems, used for OS installation;
Rock Ridge file system on optical disks;

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* fllopies, CD's, flash disks, brought hard disks and other carriers mounting;

What is more and more more, there are huge amount of programs, in which it is necessary to specify the charset, but there is no opportunity to do this:

* in ftp-servers and ftp-clients;

all file systems, used for OS installation; Rock Ridge file system on optical disks;

2005-05-05 23:35:09

�� /Lokalizacija / NATSPEC Description �� 2005-05-05 23:35:09 � 2005-05-21 15:19:58

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Please contact with e-mail: lav@etersoft.ru

FreeSource - Lokalizacija/NATSPECDescription

2008-03-06 23:05:57

2006-05-13 15:17:57

2005-09-22 15:21:15

2005-08-13 05:28:14

2005-06-24 14:01:30

What it is needed for

How does it work

What it is necessary for

How it works

2005-05-21 15:19:58

2005-05-05 23:35:09