Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-lang/tcl/lang-message-procs.tcl
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-lang/tcl/lang-message-procs.tcl,v
diff -u -r1.51.8.1 -r1.51.8.2
--- openacs-4/packages/acs-lang/tcl/lang-message-procs.tcl	27 Aug 2013 12:20:35 -0000	1.51.8.1
+++ openacs-4/packages/acs-lang/tcl/lang-message-procs.tcl	12 Sep 2013 16:25:48 -0000	1.51.8.2
@@ -17,6 +17,65 @@
 
 namespace eval lang::message {}
 
+ad_proc -public lang::message::check { 
+    locale
+    package_key
+    message_key
+    message
+} { 
+    <p>
+    Check a message for semantic and sanity correctness (usually called just before a message is registered).
+    Throws an error when one of the checks fails.
+    </p>
+} { 
+    # Qualify the locale variable value with a country code if it is
+    # just a language
+    if { [string length $locale] == 2 } {
+        # It seems to be a language (iso codes are 2 characters)
+        # We don't do a more throughout check since this is not
+        # invoked by users.
+        # let's get the default locale for that language
+        set locale [lang::util::default_locale_from_lang $locale]
+    } 
+
+    # Create a globally (across packages) unique key for the cache
+    set key "${package_key}.${message_key}"
+
+    # Check that non-en_US messages don't have invalid embedded variables
+    # Exclude the special case of datetime configuration messages in acs-lang. An alternative
+    # to treating those messages as a special case here would be to have those messages use
+    # quoted percentage signs (double percentage signs).
+    if { $locale ne "en_US" && ![regexp {^acs-lang\.localization-} $key] } {
+        set embedded_vars [get_embedded_vars $message]
+        set embedded_vars_en_us [get_embedded_vars [lang::message::lookup en_US $key {} {} 0]]
+        set missing_vars [util_get_subset_missing $embedded_vars $embedded_vars_en_us]
+
+        if { [llength $missing_vars] > 0 } {
+            error "Message key '$key' in locale '$locale' has these embedded variables not present in the en_US locale: [join $missing_vars ","]."
+        }
+    }
+    
+    # If a localization key from acs-lang...
+    if {[regexp {^acs-lang\.localization-(.*)} $key match lc_key]} {
+	# ...number separators for decimal and thousands must be checked to ensure they are not equal,
+	# otherwise the localized number parsing will fail.
+	if {$lc_key in {decimal_point thousands_sep mon_decimal_point mon_thousands_sep}} {
+	  if {[regexp {^mon_(.*)} $lc_key match lc_key]} {
+	    set decimal_point [lc_get -locale $locale "mon_decimal_point"]
+	    set thousands_sep [lc_get -locale $locale "mon_thousands_sep"]
+	  } else {
+	    set decimal_point [lc_get -locale $locale "decimal_point"]
+	    set thousands_sep [lc_get -locale $locale "thousands_sep"]
+	  }
+	  set $lc_key $message
+	  if {$decimal_point eq $thousands_sep} {
+	      error "Message keys for thousands and decimal separators must be different."
+	  }
+	}
+    }
+}
+
+
 ad_proc -public lang::message::register { 
     {-update_sync:boolean}
     {-upgrade_status "no_upgrade"}
@@ -98,21 +157,10 @@
             error $error_message
         }
     }
-
-    # Check that non-en_US messages don't have invalid embedded variables
-    # Exclude the special case of datetime configuration messages in acs-lang. An alternative
-    # to treating those messages as a special case here would be to have those messages use
-    # quoted percentage signs (double percentage signs).
-    if { $locale ne "en_US" && ![regexp {^acs-lang\.localization-} $key] } {
-        set embedded_vars [get_embedded_vars $message]
-        set embedded_vars_en_us [get_embedded_vars [lang::message::lookup en_US $key {} {} 0]]
-        set missing_vars [util_get_subset_missing $embedded_vars $embedded_vars_en_us]
-
-        if { [llength $missing_vars] > 0 } {
-            error "Message key '$key' in locale '$locale' has these embedded variables not present in the en_US locale: [join $missing_vars ","]. Message has not been imported."
-        }
-    }
     
+    # Call semantic and sanity checks on the key before registering.
+    lang::message::check $locale $package_key $message_key $message
+    
     # Build up an array of columns to set
     array set cols [list]
     if { $update_sync_p } {
Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-lang/tcl/test/acs-lang-test-procs.tcl
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-lang/tcl/test/acs-lang-test-procs.tcl,v
diff -u -r1.17 -r1.17.10.1
--- openacs-4/packages/acs-lang/tcl/test/acs-lang-test-procs.tcl	10 Jan 2007 21:22:04 -0000	1.17
+++ openacs-4/packages/acs-lang/tcl/test/acs-lang-test-procs.tcl	12 Sep 2013 16:25:48 -0000	1.17.10.1
@@ -1063,3 +1063,15 @@
             lang::message::unregister $package_key $message_key
         }
 }
+
+aa_register_case lang_messages_correct {
+    This test calls the checks to ensure a message is correct on every message in the system
+} {
+    aa_run_with_teardown -rollback -test_code {
+	db_foreach query "
+	  select message_key, package_key, locale, message from lang_messages" {
+	    aa_false "Message $message_key in package $package_key for locale $locale correct" \
+	      [catch {lang::message::check $locale $package_key $message_key $message}]
+	}
+    }
+}
Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-lang/www/admin/edit-localized-message.tcl
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-lang/www/admin/edit-localized-message.tcl,v
diff -u -r1.17.8.1 -r1.17.8.2
--- openacs-4/packages/acs-lang/www/admin/edit-localized-message.tcl	27 Aug 2013 12:20:36 -0000	1.17.8.1
+++ openacs-4/packages/acs-lang/www/admin/edit-localized-message.tcl	12 Sep 2013 16:25:48 -0000	1.17.8.2
@@ -168,6 +168,16 @@
     }
 } -on_submit {
 
+    set first_translated_message ""
+    
+    with_catch errmsg {
+	# Call semantic and sanity checks on the key before registering.
+	lang::message::check $locale $package_key $message_key $message
+    } {
+	template::form::set_error message message $errmsg
+	break
+    }
+    
     # Register message via acs-lang
     lang::message::register -comment $comment $locale $package_key $message_key $message