Python: Translating text shows msgid instead msgstr

Question

I'm newbie using gettext library to translate text. I want to translate the text that there is in the next file:

dobles_message.py

def set_message(self, language):
    t = gettext.translation("basketmetrics_i18n", "../i18n", fallback=True, languages=["'" + language + "'"])
    t.install()
    _ = t.gettext
    self.message = _("mensaje_dd_1")

To do that,first I have create dobles_message.po with this instrucction:

xgettext -i dobles_message.py -o dobles_message.pot -d basketmetrics_i18n

Then, I have created these directory structure i18n/es/LC_MESSAGES and i18n/en/LC_MESSAGES and I have created the .po version for each languate with these instructions:

msginit -i dobles_message.pot -o ../i18n/es/LC_MESSAGES/basketmetrics_i18n.po -l es
msginit -i dobles_message.pot -o ../i18n/en/LC_MESSAGES/basketmetrics_i18n.po -l en

Thrid, I have change the charset and translate the text of each file. And fourth, I have created the .mo files from each .po file with this instruction in directory i18n/es/LC_MESSAGES and in directory i18n/en/LC_MESSAGES

msgfmt basketmetrics_i18n.po -o basketmetrics_i18n.mo

But, when I run my application instead of translate the text, muy application shows me the msgid.

These is how is my structure of files and directories:

And the content of my files are next ...

dobles_message.pot

# SOME DESCRIPTIVE TITLE.
# Copyright (C) YEAR THE PACKAGE'S COPYRIGHT HOLDER
# This file is distributed under the same license as the PACKAGE package.
# FIRST AUTHOR <EMAIL@ADDRESS>, YEAR.
#
#, fuzzy
msgid   ""
msgstr  "Project-Id-Version: PACKAGE VERSION\n"
        "Report-Msgid-Bugs-To: \n"
        "POT-Creation-Date: 2018-10-10 13:22+0200\n"
        "PO-Revision-Date: YEAR-MO-DA HO:MI+ZONE\n"
        "Last-Translator: FULL NAME <EMAIL@ADDRESS>\n"
        "Language-Team: LANGUAGE <[email protected]>\n"
        "Language: \n"
        "MIME-Version: 1.0\n"
        "Content-Type: text/plain; charset=CHARSET\n"
        "Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit\n"

#: dobles_message.py:15
msgid   "mensaje_dd_1"
msgstr  ""

basketmetrics_i18n.po (English version)

    # English translations for PACKAGE package.
    # Copyright (C) 2018 THE PACKAGE'S COPYRIGHT HOLDER
    # This file is distributed under the same license as the PACKAGE package.
    # José Carlos <josecarlos@asterix>, 2018.
    #
    msgid ""
    msgstr ""
    "Project-Id-Version: PACKAGE VERSION\n"
    "Report-Msgid-Bugs-To: \n"
    "POT-Creation-Date: 2018-10-10 13:22+0200\n"
    "PO-Revision-Date: 2018-10-10 13:31+0200\n"
    "Last-Translator: Jos Carlos <josecarlos@asterix>\n"
    "Language-Team: English\n"
    "Language: en\n"
    "MIME-Version: 1.0\n"
    "Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8\n"
    "Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit\n"
    "Plural-Forms: nplurals=2; plural=(n != 1);\n"

    #: dobles_message.py:15
    msgid "mensaje_dd_1"
    msgstr "¡¡¡Hi ###twitter###!!! From www.basketmetrics.com we want to congrats to get your double double nº ###numero### this season. ¡¡¡Congratulations!!!"

basketmetrics_i18n.po (Spanish version)

# Spanish translations for PACKAGE package.
# Copyright (C) 2018 THE PACKAGE'S COPYRIGHT HOLDER
# This file is distributed under the same license as the PACKAGE package.
# José Carlos <josecarlos@asterix>, 2018.
#
msgid ""
msgstr ""
"Project-Id-Version: PACKAGE VERSION\n"
"Report-Msgid-Bugs-To: \n"
"POT-Creation-Date: 2018-10-10 13:22+0200\n"
"PO-Revision-Date: 2018-10-10 13:28+0200\n"
"Last-Translator: Jos Carlos <josecarlos@asterix>\n"
"Language-Team: Spanish\n"
"Language: es\n"
"MIME-Version: 1.0\n"
"Content-Type: text/plain; charset=latin-1\n"
"Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit\n"
"Plural-Forms: nplurals=2; plural=(n != 1);\n"

#: dobles_message.py:15
msgid "mensaje_dd_1"
msgstr "¡¡¡Hola ###twitter###!!! Desde www.basketmetrics.com queremos felicitarte por haber conseguido tu doble doble nº ###numero### esta temporada. ¡¡¡Felicidades!!!"

What am I doing wrong? I'm using python3

Edit I:

In my code, I have remove the option "fallback=True" and I get this error:

In my first step I define the domain "basmetmetrics_i18n" and I've got the .po files created with that name. What happend?

Edit II:

Following the wise advice from @stovfl I have change my set_message function:

def set_message(self, language):
    print("language: " + language)
    gettext.bindtextdomain('basketmetrics_i18n', '../i18n')
    gettext.textdomain('basketmetrics_i18n')
    _ = gettext.gettext
    self.message = _("mensaje_dd_1")
    print("Mensaje traducido: " + self.message)

Right now, I haven't any error in my application but I'm still getting the msgid instead of the msgstr. I don't understand anything :(

stovfl stovfl · Accepted Answer · 2018-10-10T16:23:43

Question: using gettext library to translate text

From the Documentation:

gettext(message)

Look up the message id in the catalog and return the corresponding message string, as a Unicode string. If there is no entry in the catalog for the message id, and a fallback has been set, the look up is forwarded to the fallback’s gettext() method. Otherwise, the message id is returned.

Your code, will work for me, if you change the following languages=[language]:

def set_message(self, language):
    t = gettext.translation(package, localedir, fallback=True, languages=[language])
    t.install()
    _ = t.gettext
    message = _("mensaje_dd_1")

set_message('es')

According to Python Documentation, you have to do:

import gettext
gettext.bindtextdomain('myapplication', '/path/to/my/language/directory')
gettext.textdomain('myapplication')
_ = gettext.gettext
# ...
print(_('This is a translatable string.'))

Python: Translating text shows msgid instead msgstr

2 Answers