On Mon, 19 Apr 2004 18:51:54 -0400 Sam Varshavchik <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
gettext is fine, except that it does not fit in sqwebmail's model, where all language-dependent strings are already externalized into separate files.
That is not true, Sam, language-dependent strings are intermingled in
HTML-files. This is a very big difference compared to programs that use
gettext for internationalization. When a new version of sqwebmail comes
out, the translation process starts almost from zero again, because I
need to copy and paste the old strings from the old HTML-templates to
the new HTML-templates. That is a lot of work, I know it, because I have
just done it. I, as a user, prefer gettext.
Right.
But I also know what Sam means. Those strings are at least not a part of the C code... at least that's what I _think_ he was getting at anyway.
Though you're also correct, in that one of the translators' biggest complaints has been that whenever the HTML files are changed, you have to very carefully check to see if your strings include any needed changes too... and even if they don't, you have to open each HTML file and copy your old translated strings into each file.
It's not a terrible headache, I don't think, when compared to some other situations. But it's certainly trouble enough that it would probably be better still if all the strings were loaded from one file -- for all the HTML pages that use them.
That's something I was planning to do in the i18n item from my list... perhaps only as an interim step(?)... for at least simplifying the i18n effort a little bit. -- But as I said, I haven't worked on any sqwebmail changes since at least December. Though, now that we come to it, maybe I'll make some more time to play with it... What with all the interest that's been restated recently. (Maybe... Assuming I _can_ make the time. ;-)
I mean, as opposed to integrating gettext, which I think would be a fairly involved undertaking (esp. for me, since I don't know anything about how that system works at all), then merely consolidating the strings used into one file (instead of being in each individual HTML file) should be a fairly simple thing.
It could mean an extra file open for every page sent... but I think that should be a minor enough bit of overhead to make it worthwhile to all except the few (very few??) servers which are already greatly over-stressed.
Heck... I'm not sure precisely "how" without looking around... but it's entirely possible we could load up those strings in the sqwebmail daemon and keep them in memory someway or another to avoid the extra read every time. hmmm.... *ponders*... *scratches head*... I'll have to look into that. Maybe even this weekend, since I'll be off Friday anyway.
Well -- That is, unless someone else takes a crack at another solution (or even this one, for that matter) before I get to it. =)
-jab
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