[Pkg-isocodes-devel] [pkg-isocodes-Bugs][314310] i18n enhancement of ISO-code POT files

[pkg-isocodes-bugs at alioth.debian.org]

pkg-isocodes-Bugs item #314310 was changed at 2013-06-22 12:16 by Chris Leonard
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https://alioth.debian.org/tracker/?func=detail&atid=413077&aid=314310&group_id=30316

Status: Open
Priority: 3
Submitted By: Chris Leonard (cjl-guest)
Assigned to: Nobody (None)
Summary: i18n enhancement of ISO-code POT files 
Part: None


Initial Comment:

In reviewing the levels of language coverage and completion for the ISO-codes projects on the Translation Project website, it is clear that both the number of languages represented and the level of completion of the PO files (even in some major world languages) is far from optimal.

http://translationproject.org/domain/iso_639.html
http://translationproject.org/domain/iso_639_3.html
http://translationproject.org/domain/iso_15924.html
http://translationproject.org/domain/iso_3166.html
http://translationproject.org/domain/iso_3166_2.html
http://translationproject.org/domain/iso_4217.html

I believe that part of the cause for this unfortunate state of affairs is the terse and often relatively obscure nature of the entries in the ISO code projects.  It would highly desirable if greater context could be given in the POT file so that localizers could readily access additional information that would allow them to provide a suitable translation.

One very simple means of accomplishing this is to add a translator comment consisting of a link to an English language Wikipedia article pertaining to the entry in question.  Articles already exist for each of the many entries as can be determined from the following index pages.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ISO_639-2_codes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ISO_639-3_codes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iso_3166
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_3166-2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_4217
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:ISO_15924/footer

I have attached a spreadsheet with links compiled for the iso_639-3.42.pot as an example of how easily these links are collected from the index pages listed above.  I believe adding these links as translator comments to the POT file would be an enhancement that would result in much higher completion levels of PO files and possible more languages being submitted.

When working on the PO file, a localizer can readily access an encyclopedic article on the entry and in many cases can actually follow interwiki links to their own languages Wikipedia and simply copy-and-paste a suitable translation that has alreacy been created by the power of crowd-sourced wiki editing.

It might even be a beneficial side-effect of such an effort that more articles pertaining to ISO code entries (countries, currencies, languages, etc.) might be created in other language Wikipedias as these are all suitable topics for wiki entries.

If there is interest in pursuing this internationalization enhancement, I would be willing to do additional work to create the needed spreadsheets to collect such links for inclusion in the ISO code POT files (presumably via their inclusion in the XML file).

cjl
Sugar Labs Translation Team Coordinator

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Comment By: Chris Leonard (cjl-guest)
Date: 2013-06-22 12:16

Message:
Note: There is an error in the Acoli link in this spreadsheet.  Sorry about that. I can't seem to upload a revised attachment.

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You can respond by visiting: 
https://alioth.debian.org/tracker/?func=detail&atid=413077&aid=314310&group_id=30316