Plurals, selects and exact numbers

Some messages need several forms: "1 ticket" and "5 tickets", or a different text for each gender. Fink shows them as forms inside one message, per language, for i18next plural keys (_one, _other, _zero), next-intl ICU plurals and selects, and Paraglide JS plural and select messages alike.

Plurals

Each language has its own plural categories. English uses one and other. Polish adds few and many. Arabic uses all six: zero, one, two, few, many, other. Japanese has none.

• When the reference splits a message by a number such as {count} and your language doesn't yet, the card shows Not split by {count} with a Split by {count} button. Fink adds the forms your language needs.
• + Add … form adds a missing category. Remove deletes an optional one.
• Each form lists example numbers, for example Polish few with 2–4, 22…. Preview lets you try values and shows which form is used.
• Use one text again merges the forms back into one text, for example for a language that doesn't need them.
• Languages without plurals get a single text.

Exact numbers

A form for an exact number takes priority over the plural category. A typical use is "No tickets" for 0.

• If the reference has a form for 0 and your language doesn't choose by exact numbers yet, the card shows No form for 0. Add the form in Edit structure… (split the message by {count} first if it is one text).
• If your language already has exact-number forms but one is missing, the card shows 1 form missing with + Add a form for 0.
• i18next supports only exactly 0 (key_zero). Other exact numbers can't be saved in i18next projects.
• next-intl (ICU =0, =1, …) supports any exact number.
• inlang message format (Paraglide JS) supports any exact number.

Selects

A select chooses a form by a text input, for example {gender} with the forms female, male and * (anything else).

• The ··· menu offers Split … by {variable} for inputs the other languages already use.
• The Edit structure… dialog adds and removes selectors and forms for the languages you are working in.
• * is the fallback form and matches any value. It is different from the plural category other.

Checks

Missing forms and empty forms appear under To do → Missing forms and Empty forms. See Checks.