ikiwiki/doc/translation/discussion.mdwn

# A few questions about translating PO file

I have a few questions about translating PO file:

1. Assume I copied `ikiwiki.pot` file to `pl.po` file and translated it
from English to Polish. How can I check that my `pl.po` file works good?
I have some experience with building Debian packages, but I don't know
too much about working with PO files in Debian packages.

  > Try putting it into the po/ directory and running make and make install
  > in there, that should create the .mo and install it somewhere
  > appropriate. ikiwiki should display translated messages when building the
  > wiki (with -v).

2. I'll send you my translation when I finish it, of course. But what about
updating my PO file? Should I send it to you for every ikiwiki issue?
Maybe you should give write access to ikiwiki repository for translators
of PO files?

  > We use git now, so you can clone my repo, commit to your clone, and
  > use git to mail me patches. --[[Joey]] 

3. What is the best way to update my PO file when you do some changes in
`ikiwiki.pot` file? Should I translate my PO file from scratch or
can I do diff for old and new `ikiwiki.pot` file and update only differences?

  > There are standard tools for working with po files, and the po file
  > should be updated as part of the wiki build process so that any fuzzy
  > strings are so marked.

  >> Could you please point me any good references or write a quick start
  >> for translators? I think it can be very useful for me and other people.

  >>> I'm not a translator, so I don't really know..

  >>>> OK, I hope I handle it :)

4. What about "gettexting" button titles and link names? Do you really
think that there should be hardcoded in ikiwiki templates? --[[Paweł|ptecza]]

  > I don't know, really. Recai's approach seems to show promise.

  >> BTW, why does ikiwiki number my questions wrongly (1., 1., 1., 1.,
  >> instead of 1., 2., 3., 4.)? Where have I made a Markdown mistake? --[[Paweł|ptecza]]

  >>> My indentation mistake, I think. --[[Joey]]

  >>>> Now it's perfect :) Thank you very much! --[[Paweł|ptecza]]

----

# Less laconic gettext messages

I'm just translating `ikiwiki.pot` file to Polish and I have
problems with some gettext messages, because unfortunately
there are very laconic, for example "update of %s's %s by %s".

Sometimes I don't understand background well, because I don't use
all ikiwiki plugins and I have to check ikiwiki source code.
Besides in Polish language we have conjugation of a verb and
I can't do it correctly if I don't know what subject of
a message is. Then I have to check the sources again...

So I have a request to Joey and the rest of ikiwiki coders:
please write more verbose gettext messages and don't fear using
subject there. It will be huge help for me and other ikiwiki
translators. Thank you! :) --[[Paweł|ptecza]]

> Well, those messages are mostly laconic because they're output by
> ikiwiki running in unix program mode and other tight situations, and 
> it should be clear from context when you see the expanded message what
> the various bits are. 
> 
> For example, "update of foowiki's MooBar by joey" seems to say enough to
> be clear (and fit in mutt's subject line display), while the corresponding
> "actualizado el wiki foowiki y la página MooBar por el usuario joey" feels
> a bit verbose. (And should it say "updated foowiki *and* the MooBar page"
> like that? My Spanish sucks though..) In my crappy Spanish I might instead
> say something like "actualizado MooBar de foowiki por joey". Or maybe
> "actualizado página Moobar por joey"?

>> But you know that "update of %s's %s by %s" string can be "update of
>> foowiki's MooBar by joey", but I can only guess it :)

> Anyway, to get back to your point, it's true that translators often
> need additonal context about things like what variables expand to, and
> size limits. This is generally done by adding comments in the pot file,
> and I've turned that on, and added a few. --[[Joey]]

>> Thank you very much! It also will be a big help for me. --[[Paweł|ptecza]]