Multilingual Support

[Borut]

Code: Select all

v11.70.0112 - 2012-11-15 21:08
    + ITT: Now you can upgrade language files to the latest state using 
      the new ITT menu command "Upgrade Language File...". You are 
      prompted to select a reference file ("Reference.lng") which will 
      be used for upgrading the currently loaded language file (e.g. 
      "German.lng").
      The reference file version must match the MLS version of the 
      running XYplorer. In future, matching reference files can be 
      downloaded from http://www.xyplorer.com/language.php.
      After upgrading any new items can be translated in the ITT right-
      away, and the be loaded into the application on closing the ITT.
      !!! NOTE: This being a BETA version, translators should backup 
          their work before upgrading it. It's all thoroughly tested but 
          you never know...

Very interesting: The string keys (on the left of the equal sign) change, but you are obviously using the reference English string value to upgrade by matching. Am I right? Anyhow, it seems that upgrading works well, as far as I could see.

I wonder only what would happen if one would inadvertently compromise the English original in the xxx.lng (for instance using a third party editing tool).

Thank you Don - MLS/ITT is getting better each day!

[admin]

Very interesting: The string keys (on the left of the equal sign) change, but you are obviously using the reference English string value to upgrade by matching. Am I right? Anyhow, it seems that upgrading works well, as far as I could see.

I wonder only what would happen if one would inadvertently compromise the English original in the xxx.lng (for instance using a third party editing tool).

Thank you Don - MLS/ITT is getting better each day!

Yes, I use various matching strategies depending on the section in the LNG file. The "messages" section use a binary search approach comparing the original strings, the "form..." sections also compare original strings (but no search here), and the first sections ("core" etc) do indeed use the numeric indices left of the "=" sign. All this is my solution for an optimization problem: safe translation in a fast developing app, and making my own MLS work as fast as possible (and 6 weeks was very fast for this incredibly big and stupid work). If had gone for a fully indexed string resource (the usual approach) I would still be indexing on Xmas 2013...

I wonder only what would happen if one would inadvertently compromise the English original in the xxx.lng (for instance using a third party editing tool).

Again this depends on the section. There are two things that should not happen:
1. crash
2. somehow affect all the non-compromised items (in other words: the translation should be robust/tolerant against errors in the LNG file)

[admin]

TRANSLATORS: Due to a stupid mistake by me a "core" item will change in the next upgrade (something which normally will never happen):

OLD: co.0055=00|General;Extended;Advanced;Startup & Exit;Interface Colors;Color Filters;Tags;Fonts;Templates;Find Files & Branch View;File Operations;Report;Preview;Previewed Formats;File Info Tips;Thumbnails;Dual Pane;Tabs;Undo & Action Log;Shell Integration;Features

NEW: co.0055=00|General;Extended;Advanced;Startup & Exit;Colors & Styles;Color Filters;Tags;Fonts;Templates;Find Files & Branch View;File Operations;Report;Preview;Previewed Formats;File Info Tips;Thumbnails;Dual Pane;Tabs;Undo & Action Log;Shell Integration;Features

In case you translated this item already, make sure to keep a backup of your translation.

[admin]

I plan to publish version 12.00 with Multilingual Support in January 2013 (looks like no translations will be ready in 2012, right?, otherwise I would have loved to do it today version 12 on 12.12.2012 12:12 ... ). For planning and website design I'd like to know: Which languages will be ready for the glorious MLS version 12.00?

[pseudoz]

Don
French translation is good enough to be published.
Each day I improve the translation.
Simon K help me a lot but I need more feedback, more testers. I'm sure it will come.

It's an endless work. So let's go now!!!

[admin]

Wow, I should look at the topic titles more often! Fantastic!

And I see Polish is already at 93%!

Maybe I can publish v12 still this year!

[Borut]

Don, maybe you should define some minimal percentage translated, for a language file to be posted officially. I expect that there are languages where some small percentage will first need to remain untranslated, as the proper translation of some things will be very hard to find out or decide upon.

Also, as has already been said in case of French, I expect that users' feedback will be very important. I believe that it is important to make easy for users to make comments and suggest better or more appropriate translations.

Also, I believe that translators for already officially published languages should have some easy way of updating their translations, in order to follow the development of XYplorer and to follow the suggestions of the users.

[Karl M]

Also, I believe that translators ... should have some easy way of updating their translations, in order to follow the development of XYplorer and to follow the suggestions of the users.

Yes, I agree. And I'm still missing some sort of "synchronization".

[fenixproductions]

@admin
I will probably make first Polish version in next few days but I know it will still need a lot of work because:
- I am new to XY (TC fan) and not everything is known for me and some parts need to be thought deeply - i.e. Minitree is separate feature so it deserves its own "names pace" to be easily recognizable (capital letter name, proper forms, …)
- some words are very hard to translate - i.e. how to make difference in Polish for focused/active/current or active/selected/marked.
- some words cannot be translated at all - i.e. "tags" may be translated as "znaczniki" but many people use "tagi"
- etc.

You can also add grammar and spelling fixes.

I think that you would need to put proper info on your page that these translations are constant work in progress and ay suggestions are welcome.
It would be also nice to put up some bug tracking system for translations. Forum board may not be suitable for such task.

[admin]

Also, I believe that translators ... should have some easy way of updating their translations, in order to follow the development of XYplorer and to follow the suggestions of the users.

Yes, I agree. And I'm still missing some sort of "synchronization".

You mean merging the LNG files of 2 translators into one? Difficult (depending on the input).

[admin]

Don, maybe you should define some minimal percentage translated, for a language file to be posted officially. I expect that there are languages where some small percentage will first need to remain untranslated, as the proper translation of some things will be very hard to find out or decide upon.

Also, as has already been said in case of French, I expect that users' feedback will be very important. I believe that it is important to make easy for users to make comments and suggest better or more appropriate translations.

Also, I believe that translators for already officially published languages should have some easy way of updating their translations, in order to follow the development of XYplorer and to follow the suggestions of the users.

percentage: yes, I'll think about it.
users' feedback: yes, but I will first wait and see what happens. (BTW. the first feedback I expect is: "What about the Help file?!" LOL)
updating: Well, isn't this built into ITT? Or do you mean something else?

[admin]

@admin
I will probably make first Polish version in next few days but I know it will still need a lot of work because:
- I am new to XY (TC fan) and not everything is known for me and some parts need to be thought deeply - i.e. Minitree is separate feature so it deserves its own "names pace" to be easily recognizable (capital letter name, proper forms, …)
- some words are very hard to translate - i.e. how to make difference in Polish for focused/active/current or active/selected/marked.
- some words cannot be translated at all - i.e. "tags" may be translated as "znaczniki" but many people use "tagi"
- etc.

You can also add grammar and spelling fixes..

Yes, I can see how difficult it is.

I think that you would need to put proper info on your page that these translations are constant work in progress and ay suggestions are welcome.
It would be also nice to put up some bug tracking system for translations. Forum board may not be suitable for such task.

Yes, and we'll see what kind and amount of feedback comes up.

So, you are (were?) a TC fan!

[Borut]

So, you are (were?) a TC fan!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conversion_of_Paul

[Borut]

updating: Well, isn't this built into ITT? Or do you mean something else?

I mean something else: Suppose you set a 90% completed mark and X.lng reaches it and gets "published". But, the translator works further an has joy in letting you update the file manually two times a day ever after, also in accord with XY-updates and users' suggestions regarding the X.lng.

No joy at your place, since you do not like housekeeping and manual stupid work. So, you do not do it twice a day, but once a week. => No joy at translator's place, since he sees no immediate updates of his work at your place.

[admin]

updating: Well, isn't this built into ITT? Or do you mean something else?

I mean something else: Suppose you set a 90% completed mark and X.lng reaches it and gets "published". But, the translator works further an has joy in letting you update the file manually two times a day ever after, also in accord with XY-updates and users' suggestions regarding the X.lng.

No joy at your place, since you do not like housekeeping and manual stupid work. So, you do not do it twice a day, but once a week. => No joy at translator's place, since he sees no immediate updates of his work at your place.

Ah, I see. Yes, I agree, but I don't see a solution currently. I'll think about it...