Changes between Version 14 and Version 15 of DeveloperGuidelines/Internationalisation

Timestamp:

05/24/10 07:02:12 (14 years ago)

Author:

Fran Boon

Comment:

Notes from Dominic on mailing list

DeveloperGuidelines/Internationalisation

@@ -39 +39 @@
 All reference to the options in View code should be by Index not by string (since the string can be changed).
 
+{{{
+The first problem for i18n are variables in the translation strings. While
+constants are recognized and added to the translation file during code
+compilation - variable strings are not added to the translation file unless
+you execute the code with all possible combinations:
+
+"If the string to be translated is not a constant but a variable, it will be
+added to the translation file at runtime to be translated later." (web2py
+manual).
+
+This is problematic, because you need to know which functions have to be
+executed and how in order to produce a complete dictionary, and at every code
+update, you have to do it again. Hence, it is likely that those strings will
+be missed by offline translations (i.e. pre-deployment), and have to be
+translated in the field. As an exception, this is acceptable.
+
+The other problem is that your construction assumes that number of words and
+word order in the respective phrases are the same in all languages, which is
+a typical idea of English native speakers - but not true. Especially we
+Germans use a quite different word order (which is totally twisted, as you
+know, but we're not the only ones), e.g.
+
+'Add New ' + table_name
+
+must be German one of:
+table_name + " erstellen" (best option)
+table_name + " hinzufügen" (still ok)
+"Füge " + table_name + " hinzu" (imperative form, not good in German)
+
+where translating the "New" would introduce another problem which is about the
+grammatical gender:
+"New X" could be in German either of "Neue X", "Neues X" oder "Neuen X". And
+believe me not even I can explain the German use of gender (e.g. "Software"
+is female, i.e. "she" - and this is not even a German word; while a computer
+is male, i.e. "he", and that is not a German word either).
+
+And semantics make it yet harder. It might be possible to "Bearbeite
+Mitteilung" ("Edit Message"), which means to "modify the contents of a
+message", while it is not possible to "Bearbeite Person" ("Edit Person"),
+because that would mean to "make that person agree in something".
+
+Similar for "Löschen" (for "Delete"), which is pretty ambiguous as it stands
+for "Delete" (remove something from the computer memory) as well as
+for "Extinguish" (e.g. fire) and some other meanings. To use it
+with "Person", you'd need to use an object periphrasis like "Eintrag"
+("entry") or "Personendaten" ("personal data").
+
+Difficult, difficult. Therefore - use string constants.
+}}}
 == Time ==
 All references to time should use {{{request.utcnow}}} rather than {{{request.now}}}