[Tutor] What/Why this Cookbook recipe?

[Andrei]

> > - format strings can be used to translate an application. You just give 
> > the translator your 'Name: %s' string and he gives you 'Borkbork: %s' or 
> > whatever. The translation doesn't need to be modified if you decide to 
> > make a user class and get rid of the username and userage vars.
> >   
> I don't see what you mean here.  The string in the example,
> 
> interp('Name: #{username}\nAge: #{userage}')
> 
> could be translated too.

Yep, it could. However, it exposes a few dangers that the normal format string
doesn't. Of course there are workarounds possible (like checking the
translations manually or writing a tool for doing it automatically, or having a
very good translation tool), but it's not the optimal solution.

- the translator is more prone to make an error in the translation because of
the relatively complex syntax

- the translator has the power to expose private information by substituting
other variables in there. Worst case behavior due to malevolent translation in
the case of format strings is a simple exception. 

- and then there's the problem of having to manually update who knows how many
translations whenever you decide to rename a variable

On the other hand, having the variable name in there may give the translator
useful information about the way he should translate a string, as the
translation may be influenced by what will be filled in in the blanks. It's
always a trade-off, isn't it.

Yours,

Andrei