Please consider interacting with translators when introducing/modifying new debconf templates

[Christian Perrier]

Hello,

I just noticed new or modified debconf templates appearing for this
package.

I would like to suggest you to consider calling for debconf templates
review AND translation updates when you introduce new debconf
templates or modify the existing templates in a package or, if you
prefer, to send a call for translations after uploading the first
version that introduces new templates or templates changes.

This will be picked up by the debian-i18n contributors for your
package *this time*, but please read the following for future
reference.


1) Get your debconf templates reviewed
--------------------------------------

The Debian i18n contributors have developed a set of suggestions for
the writing style of debconf templates, to give them an overall
consistency all around Debian. These writing style suggestions are
explained in the Developers Reference. Lintian also warns about common
writing style concerns.

You should anyway consider asking in
debian-l10n-english at lists.debian.org for a review of your debconf
templates. This should be done by sending the original templates
file(s), which are generally named debian/*templates to
debian-l10n-english at lists.debian.org.

It is suggested that you use a Subject field that the
debian-l10n-english participants have normalized, namely:
Subject: [TAF] templates://<package>/<templates file(s) name(s)>

Replace "<package>" by you package name and "<templates file(s)
name(s)>" by the name of your templates file.

Someone will pick up  the review to do, handle it, and finally send
you a bug report with the suggested templates. If you want, you can
ask for being CC'ed to the various discussions when the templates are reviewed.


2) Install po-debconf
---------------------

If you test-build your package on your system, you shoud already have
it. Otherwise, consider apt-get installing it.

it will bring the needed utility.

3) Call for new translations
----------------------------

As soon as the templates have been reviewed, you can ask Debian
translators for new translations:

Just go to your package's build tree and use:

$ podebconf-report-po --call

This will propose you a generic mail which is to be sent to
debian-i18n at lists.debian.org and call for new translations.

This utility will mention existing translations to avoid duplicate
work. 

It will also attach the needed material to this mail.

Please also think about giving a deadline to translators. We like
deadlines..:-)

4) Always call for translation updates before uploading
-------------------------------------------------------

(of course only when you change the debconf templates!)

If your package already includes debconf translations (ie *.po files
in debian/po), please consider calling for translation updates if you
happen to change something in the templates...or just in case when you
release a new version.

This is done with the following command:

$ podebconf-report-po

This will build private mails to translators (ie people listed in
"Last-Translator" in the PO files) for translations that are
incomplete. These mails will included the needed PO file for each
translator.



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