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Topic: Wish: Provisions for translations (Read 3565 times) previous topic - next topic

Wish: Provisions for translations

I've presented NWC to many colleagues but I'm always limited by the fact that it's only in english.

We, Frenchies, are not very comfortable with foreign languages and prefer having software in french.

Is it possible to work on an internationalization of NWC?
If provisions are made, it could be a mutual effort. For example, with the use of the "gettext" library, you end up with a .po file which has only to be correctly translated to have 90% of the work done.

Even better, this .po file is dynamically loaded and it's then possible to manage a huge quantity of translations with a unique code...

With a .po file, I think I could translate NWC in some days...

Re: Wish: Provisions for translations

Reply #1 –
Quote from: bersyl91 –
We, Frenchies, are not very comfortable with foreign languages and prefer having software in french.

Well I think us English are the kings of the monoglot world. Having said that, a few of us some considerable time ago started to translate the command manual (http://nwc-scriptorium.org/command.html) into French but it sorta fizzled out. I think not enough people came forward to help and it was left to small group of people to do and it turned out to be too much.

I have no idea what a .po file is. It sounds like an English colloquialism for .....  well perhaps I'd better not say. (lol)





Rich.

Re: Wish: Provisions for translations

Reply #2 –
Hi, Rich,

A .po file is basically a list of pairs of expressions: the first in originating language, the second in translated one.

There is a different file for any available language.

The magic is, if you only pick a .po file and adapt it to you own favorite language, the concerned application _is_ translated.

The only thing is to make provisions in the source code to support this facility.
The library is called gettext and the only thing you have to do is to write like this (exemple in C language):

printf(gettext("Hello, %s, glad to see you again\n"), name);
instead of simply:
printf("Hello, %s, glad to see you again\n", name);

In the .po file, you'll get only:
msgid "Hello, %s, glad to see you again\n"

Then, the translator gives the following:
msgstr "Bonjour %s, content de vous revoir\n"

... and that's all folks!


This is what I call "provisions".
 

Re: Wish: Provisions for translations

Reply #3 –
Hi Rich,

Still waiting for translation, of course ;-)

Did you make some steps ahead or is the situation still the same?
Now that version 2 is officialy released, I suppose you'll have a bit more time?

For translating the doc, I've found myself clueless as I'm using Linux and there is no way to edit the Publisher format the doc is written in.
Therefore, it's impossible for me to be of any help.
Nevertheless, if it were possible to have some "reasonably standard" format, I'm sure I'll could help.

It's the same thing concerning the program itself. If you've made provisions for translations, I'm sure I can help.

Waiting to hear from you,