GNU gettext vs International Components for Unicode

Struggling to choose between GNU gettext and International Components for Unicode? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

GNU gettext is a Development solution with tags like translation, localization, internationalization, i18n.

It boasts features such as Translation Memory - Stores translations for reuse, Plural Forms - Supports plural forms in translations, PO Files - Stores translations in portable object (PO) text files, GNU Gettext Utilities - Command line tools like msgfmt, msgmerge, xgettext, Programming APIs - APIs for multiple programming languages like C, Python, PHP, Perl, Ruby, etc, Charset Conversion - Automatically converts between character sets, Context Support - Supports pgettext for context-aware translations and pros including Widely used and well supported, Integrates well with common programming languages, Helps produce professional quality translations, Reduces localization costs by reusing translations, Open source with active development community.

On the other hand, International Components for Unicode is a Development product tagged with unicode, internationalization, localization.

Its standout features include Unicode support, Globalization services, Locale data, Time zone information, Text boundary analysis, Text transformation, Bidirectional text support, and it shines with pros like Comprehensive Unicode and i18n support, Widely adopted industry standard, Cross-platform, Open source with permissive license, Actively maintained, Good documentation.

Feature	GNU gettext	International Components for Unicode
Overall Score	N/A	N/A
Primary Category	Development	Development

Product Overview

GNU gettext

Description: GNU gettext is a software translation tool that allows programmers to write applications with interfaces that can be translated into multiple languages. It provides localization support for software.

International Components for Unicode

Description: International Components for Unicode (ICU) is an open-source library that provides robust and comprehensive Unicode support and globalization services like locale data and time zone information for software applications.

Key Features Comparison

GNU gettext Features

• Translation Memory - Stores translations for reuse
• Plural Forms - Supports plural forms in translations
• PO Files - Stores translations in portable object (PO) text files
• GNU Gettext Utilities - Command line tools like msgfmt, msgmerge, xgettext
• Programming APIs - APIs for multiple programming languages like C, Python, PHP, Perl, Ruby, etc
• Charset Conversion - Automatically converts between character sets
• Context Support - Supports pgettext for context-aware translations

International Components for Unicode Features

• Unicode support
• Globalization services
• Locale data
• Time zone information
• Text boundary analysis
• Text transformation
• Bidirectional text support

Pros & Cons Analysis

GNU gettext

Pros

• Widely used and well supported
• Integrates well with common programming languages
• Helps produce professional quality translations
• Reduces localization costs by reusing translations
• Open source with active development community

Cons

• Can have a steep learning curve
• Formatting codes in PO files can be confusing
• Not as user friendly as some paid alternatives
• Limited WYSIWYG editor options
• Requires programming knowledge to fully utilize

International Components for Unicode

Pros

• Comprehensive Unicode and i18n support
• Widely adopted industry standard
• Cross-platform
• Open source with permissive license
• Actively maintained
• Good documentation

Cons

• Complex API
• Large library size
• Version compatibility issues
• Not designed for memory constrained environments

Pricing Comparison

GNU gettext

• Open Source

International Components for Unicode

• Open Source