[jsword-devel] User interface translation plans for JSword text

[DM Smith]

On 12/01/2010 03:34 PM, Martin Denham wrote:
> I am aware there has been some work started on simplifying user 
> interface translation in JSword and I wondered if there were any plans 
> to use translation tools.
>
> There was a discussion thread on mobile-devel recently ('French 
> Translation' was the subject title) in which one of the translators of 
> And Bible said it is getting more difficult to translate as it grows 
> and he doesn't like the xml format files containing 
> the translatable text.  A suggestion was to use Launchpad 
> <https://translations.launchpad.net/> but I have no experience of this 
> and wondered what the plans were for JSword.
>
I have a page in the wiki for details on the effort. See: 
http://www.crosswire.org/wiki/DevTools:JSword/Internationalization

The basic idea is to have a small number of files that would need to be 
translated. For the most part, I've been consolidating them down to one 
per Java package. There are a few that won't merge: Bible name, Section 
Names, Language and Country Names, .... Other than these, they will be 
merged into one per jar. (Thus the consolidation of common and jsword 
jars.) Not sure what to do with config (startup) files.

One important part of the effort is commenting every call to 
Msg.gettext(...). These will be used by translators to understand what 
the text means in context.

I'll focus on getting JSword done soon. Then common-swing and bible 
desktop. (The ugly part of the UI stuff is the buttons (with their 
label, tooltip, accelerators) and un-winding the Aliases)

Once that is done, they will be exported to a format that works well 
with GNU's Gettext mechanism. For each file that needs to be translated 
there will be a pot file and each translation will be a po file.  These 
files are readily editable using translation tools.

The extraction process is repeatable, incremental and will grab 
comments, too. That is the pot file is maintained by scraping the source 
code. It will merge in new stuff and mark old stuff as no longer needed.

(The primary reason for going to gettext is that's what Peter 
recommends! and it is a great recommendation:)

These then will be the master copy and Java property files will be 
generated from them.

Regarding Launchpad, it is probably the best place for the pot and po 
files. At least part of Launchpad is dedicated to translation work. One 
aspect of Launchpad is that their tools allow sharing of existing 
translations. I think this is called "translation memory". So if I am 
starting a new French translation, I should be able to suck in 
translations for OK, Edit, Open, Close, Cut, Copy, Paste, Bible, Verse, 
... from what is in other projects.

I'm hoping that Peter will take on managing the files in Launchpad, but 
I haven't talked to him about that yet. ;)

Any other questions? Any input?

In Him,
     DM

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