def previous_multiline(key)
      begin
        # scan multilines until no further multiline is hit
        # /#\|\p{Blank}"/ needs to catch the double quote to ensure it hits a previous
        # multiline and not another line type.
        if @scanner.scan(/#\|\p{Blank}*"/)
          @scanner.pos = @scanner.pos - 1 # go one character back, so we can reuse the "message line" method
          add_result(key, message_line)
          previous_multiline(key) # go on until we no longer hit a multiline line
        end
      rescue PoSyntaxError => pe
        raise PoSyntaxError, "Syntax error in previous_multiline\n" + pe.message, pe.backtrace
      end
    end
def previous_multiline(key)
      begin
        # scan multilines until no further multiline is hit
        # /#\|\p{Blank}"/ needs to catch the double quote to ensure it hits a previous
        # multiline and not another line type.
        if @scanner.scan(/#\|\p{Blank}*"/)
          @scanner.pos = @scanner.pos - 1 # go one character back, so we can reuse the "message line" method
          add_result(key, message_line)
          previous_multiline(key) # go on until we no longer hit a multiline line
        end
      rescue PoSyntaxError => pe
        raise PoSyntaxError, "Syntax error in previous_multiline\n" + pe.message, pe.backtrace
      end
    end
parses the multiline messages of the previous comment lines