Re: Translations [of Documentation] in Git release?

[Jakub Narebski <jnareb@gmail.com>]

On Tue, 27 Jan 2009, Peter Krefting wrote:
> Sverre Rabbelier:
> 
> > Perhaps the basics can be translated at least, the documents that do
> > not require much change because they represent stable concepts?
> 
> I usually start out translating the program output, then manual pages,
> and then, time permitting, documentation.

The problem with translating program output (program messages) in Git
is twofold: fundamental and technical.  Fundamental, that program
output is considered API (at least for plumbing commands) and used
when scripting (this might be ameliorated with "I am script" switch
or environmental variable).  Technical, because Git is mixture of
programs in C, shell scripts, and Perl scripts, and you have to come
with technical means of translating messages in all three of them.

> Git is a bit special in that regard since "--help" gets hardwired to
> display the manual page, so one can't just translate the help screen.

Not in all cases. Sometimes it shows "long usage". Perhaps that should
be made more consistent?

-- 
Jakub Narebski
Poland