# GetText.update\_pofiles: seeking help with error message

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/gettext-update-pofiles-seeking-help-with-error-message/94349>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [May 1, 2006, 2:19pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/gettext-update-pofiles-seeking-help-with-error-message/94349 "2006-05-01T14:19:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![rapha](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/8dc957/32.png) [@rapha](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/rapha)\
**Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 2:19pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/gettext-update-pofiles-seeking-help-with-error-message/94349/1 "2006-05-01T14:19:40Z")

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[Re-post from Ruby list, where this didn’t belong. Sorry for the noise.]

Hi all!

Following the guide at [Peak Obsession](http://manuals.rubyonrails.com/read/chapter/105),  
I’m trying to i18n a Rails application. However, when executing ‘rake  
updatepo’, I get the following error message:

```
"numeric literal without digits"

```

Searching Google and the mailing list archives yields only two hints.  
(1) install ruby 1.8.4 and (2) make sure there’s an empty line at the  
end of each file. Although I can’t seem to find the sense in the second  
one, I’ve made sure my environment complies with both.

The error message still doesn’t go away… I’d be darn grateful for any  
pointers that you might have 🙂

Best regards from Germany,  
Raphael

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rapha](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/8dc957/32.png) [@rapha](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/rapha)\
**Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 5:31pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/gettext-update-pofiles-seeking-help-with-error-message/94349/2 "2006-05-01T17:31:39Z")

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> […]  
> “numeric literal without digits”  
> […]

Okay, the problem solved itself. Apparently using the Dapper Drake  
.debs in Ubuntu Breezy Badger in order to get ruby 1.8.4 running isn’t  
the best idea (it’s suggested when you search Google).

I’ve now compiled Ruby 1.8.4 by hand and it rgettext works.

Although now it says

no such file to load – gettext/utils

coming from the line “require ‘gettext/utils’” in the Rakefile. You  
guys wouldn’t know how to solve that one, would you? 🙂

Bests, Raphael

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rapha](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/8dc957/32.png) [@rapha](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/rapha)\
**Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 6:09pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/gettext-update-pofiles-seeking-help-with-error-message/94349/3 "2006-05-01T18:09:41Z")

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> coming from the line “require ‘gettext/utils’” in the Rakefile. You  
> guys wouldn’t know how to solve that one, would you? 🙂

And that is also solved.  
Thanks for the nice chat everybody 🙂

… it’s all just glitches with the installation here.