compilemessages does not detect missing variables in djangojs.po files

[Philipp Metzler]

If django.po contains these lines:

msgid "This is a string with a %(variable)d."
msgstr "Das ist eine Zeichenkette ohne Variable."

This error will occur when compiling with

django-admin.py compilemessages

a format specification for argument »variable« doesn't exist in »msgstr«

BUT if a translation file for JavaScript djangojs.po contains the same lines no error will occur and this mistake will not be discovered until you stumble upon it by chance.

​https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/1.7/topics/i18n/translation/#creating-message-files-from-javascript-source-code

[Claude Paroz]

I guess that the msgid line is preceded by #, python-format in django.po and not in the djangojs.po, right?

[Philipp Metzler]

That's correct. How can I configure Django to include #, python-format also in djangojs.po files?

[Claude Paroz]

Unfortunately, I'm afraid this is not in Django's hands, as we delegate string extraction to xgettext. And with gettext version >= 0.18.3 we'll use the gettext JavaScript parser on which we have still less control. So I don't see any possible resolution to this. And really, you should not use the %(...)s format when you only have one placeholder in a string, that should minimize the impact of possible mistranslations.