Re: translating [was Re: Intolerable CVS behaviour]

[Gediminas Paulauskas <menesis delfi lt>]

On 25 Feb 2001 13:23:10 -0600, Chema Celorio wrote:
> [ NOTE:
> I've also had problems with translators before.
> 3 problems with the same translator for once.
> I also REALLY apreciate all the translation action for the
> projects that I am involved in, including the times where
> a translator has fixed stupid mistakes I've made.]

have you me in mind when I added xml-i18n-tools suport t o transalte
glade files?
 

> a) For one we do need a "Read this before asking for a 
> CVS account" document. Maybe just put a form in a webpage
> where we have an official place for asking for a CVS
> account.
> 
> Something in the lines of :
> http://www.gnome.org/~chema/cvs_account.html

This is very needed. First, I did not know how to get the account and
waited for two months IIRC. Second -- I've got no documents about how to
use CVS. not a simple info what server should I use... Links to CVS help
pages or documentation should also be there. And, of course, the
document "Do not do this or that because maintainer will kick you in the
ass".

 
> >         trans --get gnumeric es.po
> >         vi
> >         trans --submit gnumeric es.po
> 
> Now,
> this is a good idea. This will *lower* the barrier for contributing
> with translations to GNOME. It's been made clear the differece with
> a translator and a more-than-just-a-translator contributions. Since we
> can't open a full access cvs account to anybody that asks for it, we
> had come up with an informal/unwritten filtering system for getting a
> a cvs account. Yes, the current way of getting an account is to have
> a maintainer to ask for it but for translations it is different.

yes, this script does not look so bad... it is possible to download a po
file from web -- Keld has done a page for it: http://www.klid.dk/gnome/.
The problem is how to submit a file (upload) -- it should have some
authentication system, and doing it from command line scripts is not so
easy (at least for me). gtranslator should be able to open po files from
the web, because it uses gnome-vfs (though I do not succeed in it).
Again, the problem with "Saving" a file to the web remains.

So, first there should be a system written that is convenient for
translators to use (and not only one option). Using web browser is pain.
(It is not if browser is links, but it cannot upload files). gtranslator
is not the tool that everyone wants to use (does anyone use it at all?)

 
> - This does not affect the more-than-just-a-translator type of guy. 
>   He already has a cvs account and will continue to have one.
> - A translator will not longer have to get ALL the code just to pull
>   a po file.

if using a page like Keld's one or the one that is on madrake
localization site (http://www.linux-mandrake.com/en/l10n.php3) already
does this -- only get the updated po file or empty pot file. Having
sources is useful, because you can look where that string is used. Fix
errors when something is not translated. Anyway, you have to test your
translation, so have that app installed.

> - A translator will not have to learn basic cvs to contribute

he must learn some other interface to use. in fact learn two interfaces.

> - A translator will not be required to use a web interface (Which is
>   a pain in the ass for some people, like me)

if someone writes the tools.

> - We need to extend the scripts to get & commit documentation.

adding documentation without CVS access will become pain. You must
change even toplevel configure.in to add Makefile for you translation.
This can be solved by having at least one CVS account per language --
for team leader. But not all team leaders are good at makefiles... Such
people as Azeri or Korean translators do not have CVS account at all.

> - we need to find someone with spare time (Spare time ! ja ja ja ja. Yea right)
>   to write/test/maintain the scripts.

-- 
Gediminas Paulauskas  ---  ICQ #24859336  ---  Lithuania