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chriscool merged 1 commit into from
Mar 19, 2026
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SoC-2026: add new microproject related to Q_ / ngettext usage #837

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81 changes: 81 additions & 0 deletions links/mentoring/soc/SoC-2026-Microprojects.md
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Expand Up @@ -57,6 +57,87 @@ with Git's dedicated test helpers like `test_path_is_file`.
- If you can't find any instances to fix, let us know what search command you
used

### Fix Improper Pluralization to Use `ngettext()`

Help improve Git's internationalization (i18n) support by finding
translatable strings that include a numeric placeholder (`%d` or
`%i`) but use `_()` instead of `Q_()`. This matters because
some languages (like Polish) have more than two plural forms, and
`Q_()` is the only correct way to handle them.

For example, the Polish word for "file" changes form depending on count:

- 1 → *plik*
- 2 - 4 → *pliki*
- 5 - 21 → *plików*
- 22 - 24 → *pliki*
- 25 - 31 → *plików*

A call like `_("Split into %d hunks.")` cannot be correctly translated
for all counts. It must be rewritten using `Q_()` which is an alias
for `ngettext()`.

#### Steps to Complete

1. Find candidate strings using:

```bash
git grep '[^Q]_("[^"]*%[id]' -- '*.c'
```

2. Review the results and identify strings where the number genuinely
controls a **count of things** (hunks, branches, objects, etc.). Skip
messages where `%d` refers to something that is never pluralized,
such as an error code, a line number, or a timeout value:

```c
// NOT a pluralization candidate — error code is never "plural"
die_errno(_("unable to get credential storage lock in %d ms"), timeout_ms);

// IS a candidate — hunk count should be pluralized
_("Split into %d hunks.")
```

3. Rewrite the candidate using `ngettext()`:

```c
// Before:
printf(_("Split into %d hunks."), n);

// After:
printf(Q_("Split into %d hunk.",
"Split into %d hunks.", n), n);
```

4. Build and run the relevant tests to confirm nothing is broken.

#### Notes

- Pick **one source file** with a small number of instances to keep
the patch focused and reviewable.
- There are known candidates in `add-patch.c`, `archive-zip.c`,
`builtin/checkout.c`, `builtin/describe.c`, `builtin/fsck.c` — so
there should be plenty to choose from.
- Each logical change (e.g., one function or one file) should ideally
be its own commit.
- Follow Git's commit message conventions.
- Before starting, ask on the mailing list to confirm no one else is
working on the same file.

#### Need Help?

- See the [gettext manual on plural forms](https://www.gnu.org/software/gettext/manual/gettext.html#Plural-forms)
for background on why `ngettext()` is necessary.
- Search the codebase for existing `Q_()` usages as examples
of the correct pattern:

```bash
git grep -3 'Q_(' -- '*.c'
```

- If you can't find any unfixed instances, let us know the search command
you used so we can retire this microproject idea.


### Add more builtin patterns for userdiff

Expand Down