Announcing the Open Source Translation Database

[Mig21]

Translating software is hard, I know from my experience of starting two new open source projects (ISO Master and Asunder) about the challenges of learning how to use Gettext, finding volunteers to do the translations, encouraging and enabling them to translate my software.

The work was worth it for me, I now have almost 70 full translations of my software in 40 languages. But I'd like to make the process of getting your first translation easier, and generally help more software maintainers to get more translations with less effort.

The OSTD ( http://littlesvr.ca/ostd/ ) is an automatic translations system - it will take your .POT file and populate it with translations based on strings in other open source software, generating .PO files. Given that you can see which software the strings come from - this will be much more accurate than other automatic translation systems such as Google Translate.

I know the Ubuntu Translations project has some similar functionality, but I would like to look at us as working towards the same goal using slightly different techniques. I'm sure the two sites can complement each other rather than needlessly compete.

I just started the project so there is a lot of polish still coming, and some significant features such as updating existing .PO files and a web service interface for other software to use. But it can be useful as it is already. Please try it out!

Any feature requests and bug reports are welcome. My goal is to make it as useful as possible to as many people as possible. I'm doing this part time, but I'm excited about the project and will do my best to improve it as quickly as possible.

[ubuntu27]

I will keep an eye on this project.

[Mig21]

I have to figure out how to reach developers, to tell them about this tool. I've no idea where they hang out

It's mostly going to be used by developers I expect, but only if they know about it

Hopefully with time word will spread.

[ubuntu27]

The developers "hang-out" in mailing list and IRC.

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuDevelopment


Perhaps you could try spreading the word by sending e-mail to blogs specialized in Linux or Ubuntu such as OMG! Ubuntu!, Web Upd8, ILoveUbuntu, etc


Or, post it in Geeky news site such as Reddit


Good luck.

[Mig21]

Great ideas, thanks!

[BRAM2002]

I like the whole ideea. It's a great project so far....