lingui compiled catalog missing plural offset error

Not specified by the original author.

Fix the lingui compiled catalog missing plural offset error

TL;DR

Your plural uses offset but no explicit =0 or =1 cases, so add them. Offset shifts the count before matching, and counts that land on the shifted values need explicit cases. Add =0 and =1 forms for the offset you use, then recompile the catalog.

The error

Error: Plural offset used without explicit =0 case
message: "{count, plural, offset:1 one {# other} other {# others}}"

Fix it

Step 1: Find the plural with offset in your sources

grep -rn "offset:" src/ locale/en/messages.po | head -5

Expected: You see the message using offset.

Step 2: Add explicit cases for the offset counts

node -e "console.log('with offset:1 add =0 and =1 cases, e.g. =0 {nobody else} =1 {you} one {you and # other} other {you and # others}')"

Expected: The message now covers the shifted counts.

Step 3: Recompile the catalog

npx lingui compile | tail -3

Expected: Compilation succeeds with no offset error.

Step 4: Render with counts 0, 1, and 2 to verify

node -e "console.log('check: count 0 to =0 case, count 1 to =1 case, count 2 to plural forms')"

Expected: Each count renders the intended string.

When to use this

• Lingui compile fails on a plural with offset
• Offset plurals render the wrong case for low counts

When NOT to use this

• No offset involved, that is a plain plural syntax issue
• The catalog compiles but picks the wrong form, check locale plural data

Tool and version compatibility

• @lingui/core v3/v4, @lingui/cli compile
• ICU plural with offset syntax

Variant phrasings

offset:2 or higher

Same rule, add explicit cases for every count the offset skips, =0 =1 =2 as needed.

offset inside a selectordinal

Ordinals with offset need the same explicit cases. Validate the message with the ICU parser first.

Why it happens

Offset subtracts from the count before plural selection, so count 1 with offset:1 selects the form for 0. Without explicit =0 and =1 cases those counts fall through to whatever the locale rules pick, which is wrong, so lingui requires the explicit cases.

Edge cases

• The # placeholder shows the offset-adjusted count, not the raw count
• Some locales lack the plural forms you wrote, keep an other case always
• Translators often drop the = cases, lint compiled catalogs for their presence

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_X25wKLgbyI0KWtVsrrqPiA

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_X25wKLgbyI0KWtVsrrqPiA

Thread query: lingui compiled catalog missing plural offset error

TL;DR: Your plural uses offset but no explicit =0 or =1 cases, so add them. Offset shifts the count before matching, and counts that land on the shifted values need explicit cases. Add =0 and =1 forms for the offset you use, then recompile the catalog.

Not specified by the original author.

Fix the react-intl plural format error in an ICU message

TL;DR

Your ICU plural block has a syntax slip, usually a missing comma or brace, so validate the message with a parser before guessing. Paste the exact defaultMessage into an ICU validator to get the character position of the break. Then fix that spot, plural blocks need the exact shape: variable, comma, plural, comma, then the cases.

The error

[@formatjs/intl Error: PLURAL_MISMATCH] or SyntaxError while parsing message
"{count, plural, one {# item} other {# items}" (note the missing closing brace)

Fix it

Step 1: Extract the exact message string that fails

grep -rn "plural" src/components/Items.js | head -5

Expected: You have the full defaultMessage text in front of you.

Step 2: Validate it with the formatjs parser to get the position

node -e "const {parse}=require('@formatjs/icu-messageformat-parser'); try{parse('{count, plural, one {# item} other {# items}')}catch(e){console.log(e.message)}"

Expected: The parser reports the exact offset of the unexpected token.

Step 3: Fix the syntax at that position

node -e "console.log('plural blocks need: {var, plural, one {...} other {...}} with all braces closed')"

Expected: The message parses without throwing.

Step 4: Re-run the component test that renders it

npx jest src/components/Items.test.js | tail -5

Expected: The test passes and the plural renders for counts 1 and 5.

When to use this

• react-intl throws while parsing a message with a plural or select block
• You hand-wrote ICU syntax and want the exact break position

When NOT to use this

• The message parses but picks the wrong plural form, that is a locale-data issue
• You are on react-intl v2 with the old parser, upgrade first

Tool and version compatibility

• react-intl v5/v6/v7, @formatjs/icu-messageformat-parser
• ICU MessageFormat syntax as implemented by formatjs

Variant phrasings

select instead of plural throws the same way

Same fix. Select blocks need {var, select, male {...} female {...} other {...}} with an other case always present.

nested plural inside select

Validate the inner block first on its own, then the outer. Nesting multiplies brace-counting mistakes.

Why it happens

ICU MessageFormat is a strict grammar, every argument needs its type keyword, commas in the right spots, and balanced braces. One missing brace or comma makes the parser fail the whole message, and react-intl surfaces that as a runtime error.

Edge cases

• Apostrophes are special in ICU, a single quote starts quoted text, double it to print one
• The # symbol only works inside plural cases, outside it prints literally or errors
• offset in plurals needs explicit =0 =1 cases, otherwise those counts fall to other

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pstOJuN6Jf2HddHvqJIrvr5w

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pstOJuN6Jf2HddHvqJIrvr5w

Thread query: react-intl plural format error in icu message

TL;DR: Your ICU plural block has a syntax slip, usually a missing comma or brace, so validate the message with a parser before guessing. Paste the exact defaultMessage into an ICU validator to get the character position of the break. Then fix that spot, plural blocks need the exact shape: variable, comma, plural, comma, then the cases.

Not specified by the original author.

Fix the formatjs ICU message syntax error on an unexpected token

TL;DR

The ICU parser hit a character it did not expect at a specific offset, so get that offset and look there first. The usual suspects are a stray apostrophe, which starts quoted text in ICU, or a brace that never closes. Fix the character, re-parse, and move on.

The error

SyntaxError: Unexpected token at offset 24
message: "You\u0027ve got {count, plural, one {# message} other {# messages}}"
the doubled quote above is the correct escape, a single quote breaks parsing

Fix it

Step 1: Reproduce the parse failure with the exact string

node -e "const {parse}=require('@formatjs/icu-messageformat-parser'); parse(process.argv[1])" "You've got {count, plural, one {# message} other {# messages}}"

Expected: The parser throws and names the offset.

Step 2: Inspect the character at that offset

node -e "const s=process.argv[1]; const i=24; console.log(JSON.stringify(s.slice(i-6,i+6)))" "You've got {count, plural, one {# message} other {# messages}}"

Expected: You see the offending character in context.

Step 3: Fix it: double apostrophes, balance braces

node -e "console.log('write You\u0027\u0027ve for a literal apostrophe in ICU')"

Expected: The corrected string parses cleanly.

Step 4: Add the message to your extract lint so it stays fixed

npx formatjs extract 'src/**/*.js' --out-file /tmp/check.json | tail -3

Expected: Extraction completes with no syntax errors.

When to use this

• formatjs throws SyntaxError or unexpected token while parsing a message
• A message with apostrophes or quotes fails to parse

When NOT to use this

• The message parses but selects the wrong plural, check locale data
• The error is at runtime in the browser, make sure the parser version matches the runtime

Tool and version compatibility

• @formatjs/icu-messageformat-parser v1/v2, react-intl v5+
• ICU MessageFormat as implemented by formatjs, not Java MessageFormat

Variant phrasings

unexpected token inside a select block

Same approach. Select blocks need an other case, a missing one often reads as an unexpected token at the end.

error only in one locale file

Translators edited the ICU syntax. Diff that locale against the source message and fix the syntax there.

Why it happens

ICU gives special meaning to apostrophes, braces, and the # sign. A translator typing a normal apostrophe accidentally opens a quoted section that never closes, and the parser reports the spot where the grammar stops making sense.

Edge cases

• Smart quotes from word processors are not ICU quotes, normalize to straight quotes first
• The # sign outside a plural case is literal in some versions and an error in others, avoid it
• Argument names are case sensitive, count and Count are different arguments

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_fxBHwFmd-Au2bqNIvu0rGA

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_fxBHwFmd-Au2bqNIvu0rGA

Thread query: formatjs icu message syntax error unexpected token

TL;DR: The ICU parser hit a character it did not expect at a specific offset, so get that offset and look there first. The usual suspects are a stray apostrophe, which starts quoted text in ICU, or a brace that never closes. Fix the character, re-parse, and move on.