[sword-devel] Adding abbreviated names to the module conf file (was Re: isalnum(3) for i18n)

[Eeli Kaikkonen]

This discussion is repeating some of the earlier discussion about this  
same subject. I repeat one point here:

"FinPR" is meaningless to Finnish people. It is customary to reference  
the translation with "KR 1938" or something like that. "Pyhä Raamattu  
kirkolliskokouksen 1998 käyttöönottaman suomennoksen mukaisesti" tms.  
is far too long and impractical both in printed text and in software  
user interfaces. Therefore there should be both a localized  
abbreviation of the module name and localized short description. And  
as Peter has argued there should be no need to limit the  
possibilities. Those who create modules can decide what localized text  
they want to put there, and other people can add some if they need to.  
Nobody is forced to use those.

As a frontend developer I'm very willing to give the users the best  
localized experience possible, even if it needs some extra work. This  
is not only for those who don't know English, but for all those who  
use other than English. Take for example copying/dragging verses to a  
text editor. If I prepare a text in Finnish I want to copy verses  
there with a short name of the translation: "Dolorem ipsum in  
Finnish... (Joh. 2:13, KR 1938)". NOT "Dolorem ipsum in Finnish...  
(John 2:13, FinPR)". You don't want to write "Dolorem ipsum in  
English... (Offenbarung 1:12, English New International Version)"  
either.

Note that I mixed localized book names here on purpose, but it's  
another subject. It just shows that if we want to offer "user  
friendly" software we have to work for that. It doesn't come for free.


--Eeli Kaikkonen