Replace all text with temporary message
-tags. From/acs-admin/apm/, select a package and then
+tags. From/acs-admin/apm/, select a package and then
click on Internationalization,
then Convert ADP, Tcl, and SQL files
to using the message catalog.. This pass only changes the
@@ -33,16 +37,16 @@
them key by key.
Replace the temporary message tags in ADP
-files. From the same Convert ADP ... page in /acs-admin/apm as in the last step, repeat
+files. From the same Convert ADP ... page in /acs-admin/apm as in the last step, repeat
the process but deselect Find human
language text ... and select Replace <# ... #> tags ... and click
OK. This step replaces all of the temporary tags with
"short" message lookups, inserts the message keys into
the database message catalog, and then writes that catalog out to
-an xml file.
Replace human-readable text in Tcl files with temporary -tags. Examine all of the Tcl files in the packages +tags. Examine all of the Tcl files in the packages for human-readable text and replace it with temporary tags. The temporary tags in Tcl are slightly different from those in ADP. If the first character in the temporary tag is an underscore @@ -67,7 +71,7 @@
Replace the temporary message tags in Tcl -files. Repeat step 2 for Tcl files. Here is the +files. Repeat step 2 for Tcl files. Here is the example Tcl file after conversion:
set title [_ simulation.admin_title]
set context [list [list . [_ simulation.SimPlay]] \
@@ -76,9 +80,9 @@
[_ simulation.lt_Messages_for_role_pre]]
-Internationalize SQL Code. If there is -any user-visible Tcl code in the .sql or .xql files, -internationalize that the same way as for the Tcl files.
+Internationalize SQL Code. If there is any +user-visible Tcl code in the .sql or .xql files, internationalize +that the same way as for the Tcl files.
Internationalize Package Parameters. See Multilingual APM Parameters
YYYY-MM-DD
HH24:MI:SS and change the field name to *_ansi so that it
cannot be confused with previous, improperly formatting fields. For
-example,-to_char(timestamp,'MM/DD/YYYY HH:MI:SS') as foo_date_pretty
becomes
-to_char(timestamp,'YYYY-MM-DD HH24:MI:SS') as foo_date_ansi+example,
to_char(timestamp,'MM/DD/YYYY HH:MI:SS') as foo_date_pretty
becomes
to_char(timestamp,'YYYY-MM-DD HH24:MI:SS') as foo_date_ansi
In Tcl files where the date fields are used, convert the
datetime from local server timezone, which is how it's stored
@@ -112,8 +114,7 @@
localization; they are placeholders that format dates with the
appropriate codes for the user's locale. These codes are:
%x, %X, %q, %Q, and %c.
-
-set foo_date_pretty [lc_time_fmt $foo_date_ansi "%x %X"]
Use the _pretty version in
+
set foo_date_pretty [lc_time_fmt $foo_date_ansi "%x %X"]
Use the _pretty version in
your ADP page.
%c: Long date and time (Mon November 18, 2002 12:00 AM)
%x: Short date (11/18/02)
%X: Time (12:00 AM)
%q: Long date without weekday (November 18, 2002)
%Q: Long date with weekday (Monday November 18, 2002)
The "q" format strings are OpenACS additions; the rest
@@ -126,63 +127,59 @@
internationalize numbers, use lc_numeric $value, which formats the number
using the appropriate decimal point and thousand separator for the
locale.
-Internationalizing Forms. When coding +Internationalizing Forms. When coding forms, remember to use message keys for each piece of text that is user-visible, including form option labels and button labels.
-Checking the Consistency
-of Catalog Files. This section describes how to
-check that the set of keys used in message lookups in tcl, adp, and
-info files and the set of keys in the catalog file are identical.
-The scripts below assume that message lookups in adp and info files
-are on the format \#package_key.message_key\#, and that message
-lookups in Tcl files are always is done with one of the valid
-lookups described above. The script further assumes that you have
-perl installed and in your path. Run the script like this:
-acs-lang/bin/check-catalog.sh
+Checking the Consistency of
+Catalog Files. This section describes how to check
+that the set of keys used in message lookups in tcl, adp, and info
+files and the set of keys in the catalog file are identical. The
+scripts below assume that message lookups in adp and info files are
+on the format \#package_key.message_key\#, and that message lookups
+in Tcl files are always is done with one of the valid lookups
+described above. The script further assumes that you have perl
+installed and in your path. Run the script like this: acs-lang/bin/check-catalog.sh
package_key
where package_key is the key of the package that you want to test. If you don't provide the package_key argument then all packages with catalog files will be checked. The script will run -its checks primarily on en_US xml catalog files.
+its checks primarily on en_US XML catalog files.-
Replace complicated keys with longer, simpler -keys. When writing in one language, it is possible -to create clever code to make correct text. In English, for -example, you can put an
if-command at the end of a word which adds "s" if a count is -anything but 1. This pluralizes nouns correctly based on the data. -However, it is confusing to read and, when internationalized, may -result in message keys that are both confusing and impossible to -set correctly in some languages. While internationalizing, watch -out that the automate converter does not create such keys. Also, +keys. When writing in one language, it is possible to +create clever code to make correct text. In English, for example, +you can put anifcommand at +the end of a word which adds "s" if a count is anything +but 1. This pluralizes nouns correctly based on the data. However, +it is confusing to read and, when internationalized, may result in +message keys that are both confusing and impossible to set +correctly in some languages. While internationalizing, watch out +that the automate converter does not create such keys. Also, refactor compound text as you encounter it.The automated system can easily get confused by tags within message texts, so that it tries to create two or three message keys for one long string with a tag in the middle. In these cases, uncheck those keys during the conversion and then edit the files -directly. For example, this code:
-<p class="form-help-text"><b>Invitations</b> are sent, +directly. For example, this code:
<p class="form-help-text"><b>Invitations</b> are sent, when this wizard is completed and casting begins.</p>has a bold tag which confuses the converter into thinking there are two message keys for the text beginning "Invitations ..." where there should be one:
Instead, we cancel those keys, edit the file manually, and put -in a single temporary message tag:
-<p class="form-help-text"> <#Invitations_are_sent <b>Invitations</b> are sent, +in a single temporary message tag:
<p class="form-help-text"> <#Invitations_are_sent <b>Invitations</b> are sent, when this wizard is completed and casting begins.#> </p>
Complex if statements may produce convoluted message keys that are very hard to localize. Rewrite these if statements. For -example:
-Select which case <if \@simulation.casting_type\@ eq "open">and +example:
Select which case <if \@simulation.casting_type\@ eq "open">and role</if> to join, or create a new case for yourself. If you do not select a case <if \@simulation.casting_type\@ eq "open">and role</if> to join, you will be automatically assigned to a case <if \@simulation.casting_type\@ eq "open">and role</if> when the -simulation begins.
... can be rewritten:
-<if \@simulation.casting_type\@ eq "open"> +simulation begins.
... can be rewritten:
<if \@simulation.casting_type\@ eq "open"> Select which case and role to join, or create a new case for yourself. If you do not select a case and role to join, you will @@ -197,8 +194,7 @@ be automatically assigned to a case when the simulation begins. -</else>
Another example, where bugs are concatenated with a number:
-<if \@components.view_bugs_url\@ not nil> +</else>
Another example, where bugs are concatenated with a number:
<if \@components.view_bugs_url\@ not nil> <a href="\@components.view_bugs_url\@" title="View the \@pretty_names.bugs\@ for this component"> </if> \@components.num_bugs\@ @@ -225,8 +221,7 @@ <if \@components.view_bugs_url\@ not nil> </a> </if> -
It would probably be better to do this as something like:
-<if \@components.view_bugs_url\@ not nil> +
It would probably be better to do this as something like:
<if \@components.view_bugs_url\@ not nil> <if \@components.num_bugs\@ eq 1> <a href="\@components.view_bugs_url\@" title="#bug-tracker.View_the_bug_fo_component#">#bug-tracker.one_bug#</a> </if><else> @@ -235,25 +230,22 @@ </if> -
-Don't combine keys in display text. -Converting a phrase from one language to another is usually more -complicated than simply replacing each word with an equivalent. -When several keys are concatenated, the resulting word order will -not be correct for every language. Different languages may use -expressions or idioms that don't match the phrase key-for-key. -Create complete, distinct keys instead of building text from -several keys. For example:
Original code:
-multirow append links "New [bug_tracker::conn Bug]"
Problematic conversion:
-multirow append links "[_ bug-tracker.New] [bug_tracker::conn Bug]"
Better conversion:
set bug_label [bug_tracker::conn Bug] +Don't combine keys in display +text. Converting a phrase from one language to +another is usually more complicated than simply replacing each word +with an equivalent. When several keys are concatenated, the +resulting word order will not be correct for every language. +Different languages may use expressions or idioms that don't +match the phrase key-for-key. Create complete, distinct keys +instead of building text from several keys. For example:
Original code:
multirow append links "New [bug_tracker::conn Bug]"
Problematic conversion:
multirow append links "[_ bug-tracker.New] [bug_tracker::conn Bug]"
Better conversion:
set bug_label [bug_tracker::conn Bug] multirow append links "[_ bug-tracker.New_Bug]" "${url_prefix}bug-add"... and include the variable in the key:
"New %bug_label%". This gives translators more control over the phrase.In this example of bad i18n, full name is created by concatenating first and last name (admittedly this is pervasive in -the toolkit):
-<a href="\@past_version.maintainer_url\@" title="#bug-tracker.Email# \@past_version.maintainer_email\@"> +the toolkit):
<a href="\@past_version.maintainer_url\@" title="#bug-tracker.Email# \@past_version.maintainer_email\@"> \@past_version.maintainer_first_names\@ \@past_version.maintainer_last_name\@</a>
-
-Avoid unnecessary duplicate keys. When +Avoid unnecessary duplicate keys. When phrases are exactly the same in several places, use a single key.
For common words such as Yes and No, you can use a library of keys at acs-kernel. For example, instead of using @@ -267,24 +259,22 @@
-
Don't internationalize internal code -words. Many packages use code words or key words, +words. Many packages use code words or key words, such as "open" and "closed", which will never be shown to the user. They may match key values in the database, or -be used in a switch or if statement. Don't change these.
For example, the original code is
workflow::case::add_log_data \ +be used in a switch or if statement. Don't change these.
For example, the original code is
workflow::case::add_log_data \ -entry_id $entry_id \ -key "resolution" \ - -value [db_string select_resolution_code {}]This is incorrectly internationalized to
workflow::case::add_log_data \ + -value [db_string select_resolution_code {}]This is incorrectly internationalized to
workflow::case::add_log_data \ -entry_id $entry_id \ -key "[_ bug-tracker.resolution]" \ -value [db_string select_resolution_code {}]But
resolutionis a keyword in a table and in the code, so this breaks the code. It should not have been internationalized at all. Here's another example of -text that should not have been internationalized:-{show_patch_status "open"}It is broken if changed to
-{show_patch_status "[_ bug-tracker.open]"}+text that should not have been internationalized:{show_patch_status "open"}It is broken if changed to
{show_patch_status "[_ bug-tracker.open]"} -
-Fix automatic truncated message keys. The +Fix automatic truncated message keys. The automatic converter may create unique but crytic message keys. Watch out for these and replace them with more descriptive keys. For example:
@@ -301,45 +291,38 @@ phrase. Ask yourself, if I was a translator and didn't know how this application worked, would this key and text make translation easy for me?
Sometimes the automatic converter creates keys that don't -semantically match their text. Fix these:
-<msg key="Fix">for version</msg> +semantically match their text. Fix these:
<msg key="Fix">for version</msg> <msg key="Fix_1">for</msg> <msg key="Fix_2">for Bugs</msg>
Another example:
Bug-tracker component maintainerwas converted to[_ bug-tracker.Bug-tracker]. Instead, it should bebug_tracker_component_maintainer. Translations in Avoid "clever" message -reuse. Translations may need to differ depending on +reuse. Translations may need to differ depending on the context in which the message appears.
-Avoid plurals. Different languages create +Avoid plurals. Different languages create plurals differently. Try to avoid keys which will change based on the value of a number. OpenACS does not currently support internationalization of plurals. If you use two different keys, a plural and a singular form, your application will not localize properly for locales which use different rules or have more than two forms of plurals.
-
-Quoting in the message catalog for tcl. -Watch out for quoting and escaping when editing text that is also -code. For example, the original string
-set title "Patch \"$patch_summary\" is nice."
breaks if the message text retains all of the escaping that was -in the Tcl command:
-<msg>Patch \"$patch_summary\" is nice.</msg>
When it becomes a key, it should be:
-<msg>Patch "$patch_summary" is nice.</msg>
Also, some keys had %var;noquote%, which is not needed since +Quoting in the message catalog for +tcl. Watch out for quoting and escaping when editing +text that is also code. For example, the original string
set title "Patch \"$patch_summary\" is nice."
breaks if the message text retains all of the escaping that was +in the Tcl command:
<msg>Patch \"$patch_summary\" is nice.</msg>
When it becomes a key, it should be:
<msg>Patch "$patch_summary" is nice.</msg>
Also, some keys had %var;noquote%, which is not needed since those variables are not quoted (and in fact the variable won't even be recognized so you get the literal %var;noquote% in the output).
-
-Be careful with curly brackets. Code +Be careful with curly brackets. Code within curly brackets isn't evaluated. Tcl uses curly brackets as an alternative way to build lists. But Tcl also uses curly brackets as an alternative to quotation marks for quoting text. So -this original code
-array set names { key "Pretty" ...}... if converted to
-array set names { key "[_bug-tracker.Pretty]" ...}... won't work since the _ func will not be called. Instead, -it should be
-array set names [list key [_bug-tracker.Pretty] ...]
+this original codearray set names { key "Pretty" ...}... if converted to
array set names { key "[_bug-tracker.Pretty]" ...}... won't work since the _ func will not be called. Instead, +it should be
array set names [list key [_bug-tracker.Pretty] ...]