PHP 5 and gettext() annoyances

[giza]

I just learned the hard way that if you call the gettext() on an installation that does not have it compiled in, PHP just exits. No errors, no warnings, nothing. The script just stops. And yes, error_reporting(E_ALL) is enabled.

What an annoyance.

Comments

[shockwave77598.livejournal.com]

Isn't there a PHP to generate a JPG or PNG from text handed to the function? Any publically usable version on the interwebs I can access now and then for some silly fun? :)

[furahi.livejournal.com]

Image from text?
You can use the GD Image functions for that...

[jaesharp.livejournal.com]

Ouch, that should definitely generate an error. Have you submitted a patch or has it been fixed yet?

[giza.livejournal.com]

Neither. I was too @%#! busy fixing the production site which was in a broken state.

[furahi.livejournal.com]

Gotta <3 PHP :)

[balinares.livejournal.com]

Oh, it gets even better.
Did you know that gettext just plain doesn't translate anything at all if a locale with a name matching exactly the currently set LANG doesn't exist on the server? Even though gettext does NOT use that locale for anything?
Did you know that installing some of those locales breaks PHP, plain and simply, with very confusing and entirely unrelated error messages?
(And yes, one of our clients is in a country whose LANG matches one of those locales that break PHP. I love my job so much. ;))