Re: How do strings get to newer versions?

[Clytie Siddall <clytie riverland net au>]

Hello Raivis :)

On 18/05/2006, at 4:54 AM, Raivis Dejus wrote:

> I have heared that you use msgmerge to get strings from older versions
> to the newer ones, but how often does that happen?

We are lucky that the Gnome servers msgmerge any available  
translations from existing files into our PO files (not POT files,  
however: we have to do that).

This means that when new strings are added to a PO file you've  
already translated, the Gnome server will search through existing  
translations in your language to try and match the new strings.  
That's why you may already be seeing new strings marked "fuzzy", with  
a suggested translation.
> and if i have translated something for gnome 2.14 should i comit that
> file to gnome 2.16? can this cause any problems? and what about
> commiting/getting gnome 2.16 translations to 2.14

2.14-2.16

If you have translated the 2.14 file, the Gnome server will msgmerge  
that into the 2.16 file, so when you download the 2.16 file, all the  
strings that _can_ be matched from available translations, have been  
matched.

e.g. if you have translated epiphany.2.14.lv.po, the Gnome server will:

1. msgmerge all those strings into the epiphany.2.16.pot file
2. try to match any of the new strings (it might create some exact  
and some fuzzy matches, with some remaining unmatched [empty] strings)
3. create the file epiphany.2.16.lv.po for you to download, update  
and commit.

You can then apply msgmerge from your own compendium, to match any  
remaining empty strings, if you like. It won't overwrite any exact  
matches (or, I think, fuzzy matches).

Any 2.16 files you _haven't_ translated for 2.14 will be empty (POT)  
files.

2.16-2.14.

I don't know. Possibly the server msgmerges in reverse this way, but  
if it doesn't, you can do that yourself. (I don't think this  
situation would happen often enough to justify a change in procedure,  
but you could suggest it, if it doesn't already exist.)

What you _don't_ do, is commit 2.16 files to 2.14 or vice versa. The  
original strings will be different. This is tantamount to changing  
the original strings in a file, which we must never do, since that  
can break the build of the application, when our PO files are  
reintegrated with the source.

Always make sure you have the correct PO file for each version,  
before translating it, or committing it.
> as some parts of gnome are being translated also in launchpad.net, can
> I commit/get those translations to gnome upstream?

Rosetta (in Launchpad) still has serious security and quality-control  
issues. It also does not show the current versions of many files. :(

I don't know the best way of using any of those translations, but I  
would strongly recommend encouraging translators working there to  
work directly through Gnome (as I do for my language). We have an  
effective infrastructure here, we have quality-assurance and access- 
control procedures, and we're working with the current files.

Until Rosetta can address its current access and quality issues, and  
work more closely with projects like Gnome, I don't see it as a valid  
alternative. Pootle does have these features, but doesn't yet have  
the project integration we need, although this is planned. Once it  
has been established, Pootle will be a valid and useful translation  
tool. Rosetta just needs to follow their example, which, since it's  
already using some of the Pootle technology, shouldn't be that  
difficult.

from Clytie (vi-VN, Vietnamese free-software translation team / nhÃm  
Viát hÃa phán mám tá do)
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/vi-VN