Re: Package synopses and blurbs translation

[Ludovic Courtès]

John Darrington <address@hidden> skribis:

> Packages which have a GUI, also need a .desktop file, which contains
> two translatable strings:  "GenericName", and "Comment".  For example,
> here is the .desktop file from pspp:
>
> [Desktop Entry]
> Name=GNU PSPP
> GenericName=Statistical Software
> GenericName[ca]=Programari estadístic
> GenericName[cs]=Statistický program

[...]

> I think the most desirable approach is to encourage package maintainers, to 
> append the "Synopsis", "Description", "GenericName" etc strings to the .pot
> files for their projects.  This saves having a team of translators dedicated
> to translating names/descriptions of packages and the translators who are 
> already familiar with a package are in the best position to make a 
> translation.
>
> However, not all package maintainers will comply.

Right, which means the only solution that works in practice is what we
have now.

In addition, since .desktop files don’t use gettext, I suppose it would
be harder to share translations.  Someone would have to come up with a
tool that gets translations from the www po files, and extracts them to
a .desktop.

Anyway, that’s another story...

Ludo’.