intltool.m4 does not define ENABLE_NLS

[Seán de Búrca]

Because IT_PROG_INTLTOOL conflicts with AM_GNU_GETTEXT, applications depending on having ENABLE_NLS defined but which need to use IT_PROG_INTLTOOL must define it themselves. From the documentation for AM_GNU_GETTEXT: "The AM_GNU_GETTEXT macro determines whether GNU gettext is available and should be used. If so, it sets the USE_NLS variable to ‘yes’; it defines ENABLE_NLS to 1 in the autoconf generated configuration file (usually called config.h)". IT_PROG_INTLTOOL should copy this AM_GNU_GETTEXT behavior.

[J. Brown (jb999-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount)]

I second this.

So far, using AM_GLIB_GNU_GETTEXT was a inexpensive alternative (although doing more than necessary). But since AM_GLIB_GNU_GETTEXT has become deprecated, it would be desirable if intltool could perform these few necessary tasks.

[Ingo Brückl (ib2)]

There are good reasons to prefer intltoolize to gettextize and to not use AM_GNU_GETTEXT. Unfortunately, IT_PROG_INTLTOOL is lacking just one simple check which is the reason why IT_PROG_INTLTOOL is commonly used together with AM_GLIB_GNU_GETTEXT (which provides this missing check).

With AM_GLIB_GNU_GETTEXT having become deprecated recently chances are that it will be dropped sooner or later, resulting in (overkill) AM_GNU_GETTEXT being the only alternative.

Please consider adding IT_ENABLE_NLS to intltool.m4. In doing so, you can simply replace AM_GLIB_GNU_GETTEXT (or AM_GNU_GETTEXT) by new IT_ENABLE_NLS in order to define necessary ENABLE_NLS.

[J. Brown (jb999-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount)]

Could Ingo's patch please be considered? Works great!

[Michael Catanzaro (mike-catanzaro)]

For what it's worth: GNOME considers intltool to be deprecated as well. See https://wiki.gnome.org/MigratingFromIntltoolToGettext for our recommendation on how to handle translations nowadays.