[PATCH] Declension of month names in dates

[Jacob Sparre Andersen]

Jacek Stolarczyk wrote:

> On Fri, 16 Aug 2002, Mike Richardson wrote:
> [...]
> > > This is all good and fine, but considering that there is a
> > > much larger variation in the declension of dates, day names
> > > and month names, a more general system might be in order.
> >
> > <snip>
> >
> > Could it be that this is becoming too complicated to be made "generally"
> > workable without, in effect, having separate case for each language.

I don't think so, but please show an example that isn't
covered by my suggestion.

> > Perhaps there should be a plugin mechanism, so that these
> > sort of cases are handled by code written for the purpose?

That might of course be an option.

> Yes, in general I agree here. But I think we are talking
> two different things here. My proposal (and patch) is
> about grammatical forms of words in dates written in
> basic form, like in:
> 
> a) auto-variable in top-right hand side corner of the
>    letter in word processor
> b) most cases in word-processors
> c) tooltip on clock in kicker
> d) anywhere written separately
> e) korganizer: Start date: date1, End date: date2

All of the above are certainly different from the problem I
attempted to solve.

> f) kmail: sending, arrival date

If you mean as for presenting the dates listed in the
header, this is the same as the abovementioned examples.

> Putting dates somewhere in the sentence (even in a
> context like From date1 to date2) is a different (and
> much harder) task.

Exactly.

> In Polish the name of the weekday
> alone has 7 forms!

Technically it has four in Faroese. Do you really use all
seven forms? What does the chosen form depend on?

> The other point Jacob mention - capitalization of first
> character in the date if it appears at the begining of
> the sentence - is, IMHO, a job for a autocorrection
> module in word processors.

I disagree. It shouldn't be necessary to have an
autocorrection module activated in your e-mail editor to get
the date in the correct form, when the program inserts:

   <some date> you wrote:

Jacob
-- 
"Those who profess to favor freedom and yet depreciate
 agitation, are people who want crops without ploughing the
 ground; they want rain without thunder and lightning; they
 want the ocean without the roar of its waters."
                                        -- Frederick Douglas