My opinion about different options when translating OO.o

... is following:

• Some people translate sdf-files with spreadsheet applications... brr..
• Translation framework held up by Pavel Janik: it was the way to involve existing freeware translators to OO.o translation. It was very important to use their TM databases at starting point for many languages. As it is easy to use and quite flexible it is at moment a very good way for communities sharing translators with other teams.
• Pootle - it is the best way to involve EVERYONE. Some teams don't want everyone. Me too. OO.o is a production level application already long time, there are printed books about OO.o in many languages, we should think twice before changing something in user interface. It needs strong administration etc. Anyways, it is a very good option too in many cases and the best feature is that Pootle can be used together with previous option.
• Something for professional translators. I don't maybe fully understand what all this XLIFF etc. means, but I can understand that this may be important for so-said Sun-languages. I've never met any professional translator of my language personally, I've only seen some MSW and MSO translations and these make me sick (not only me, users too - these translations are subject of common fleering in our country). It is still for me unclear, how version control systems can handle XLIFF-format, as OLT output is packed to xlz-files and how readable is the changes output. Anyways, for my team this option is meaningless, as we don't have currently any people working with other formats except gettext one.

It's just my thoughts, I don't want to agitate someone. Maybe just we have to think not only 'what will be in future' but also 'what we have already'. And how to make it better.

Checking translations

We are checking all changes in string translations in very easy way: our Estoanian team linguist (Marek Laane, JCA) is subscribed to et-cvs@openoffice.org mailing lists. When a commit is made he just writes his comments to the same list. We are using the same system in all projects, for projects without needed infrastructure (Firefox, Thunderbird) we use Google Groups with or without RSS feature for redirecting version-control-system commit messages, for projects with common mailing list for all changes (like openSUSE) I first automatically filter out et/po messages using my GMail account which deletes all other languages commits and redirects et/po commits to Google group. It's very easy to do because diffs of po-files are easy readable.

Some pickups from NLC meeting in Barcelona

I've reminded later that Basque team lead told that he has to overread every incoming file from translators from beginning till the end (if I understood right). I've tried to keep it simpler - when I've got the file, I'm doing following:

• remerge it to latest pot-set just to be sure
• take a look at statistics to find fuzzy and untranslated strings and fix them if I can
• commit to CVS repository
• read commit log to see what is changed
• fix the errors when needed
• commit again when needed

When I've got file from trusted people (hm, I trust generally all people, but lets say ... trusted quality) I'll skip the last 3 steps or I'll write it in my ToDo. It's easy to do because diffs of po-files are easy readable.

Barcelona!

17.09 Leaving home in 7.30 at morning. Driving 3 hours (horas). In Tallinn's airport at 10.30. Check-in, quick lunch, to plane... bzzzzzz ... 15.45 - in Barcelona. Heat! +28 degrees. And we all have clothes as we left home at +2 degrees we should bury the earlier decision to get to city with train. Thanks to taxi driver with license to 4 places who takes us all 5 people with a lot of baggage into center of city. 30 minutes driving and here we are - in the middle of the historical Barcelona. Our ho(s)tel is placed at street Jaume I, 50 meters from the Plaza of Saint Jaume. The 3rd floor is 5th floor in reality when starting measuring from earth but OK. There is a TV, shower and toilet (seat is a bit broken but dontmind). Quick walk to Cathedral's plaza, dinner etc. Greatest experience was Sangria de Cava which was really good in such heat. Back to hotel, and to sleep. Realized that its not possible to sleep with open balcony door - bells at every 15 minutes, street musicians, and rolling beer-wine-whatever barrels in early morning/late night. 18.09 First thing in morning - to Aquarium. Sharks, corals, Linux penguins etc. Quick lunch, starting to search for university. Found in 30 minutes, another 5 minutes to find the room where NLC meeting takes place. Took some pictures from old university which is itself worth of visiting Barcelona. Meeting started at 15 PM as should be. Most things talked were already discussed during last year at IRC meetings. Pootle, XLIFF, QA process, etc. I'm not a big fan of first 2 ones, but I started to think, that when I'm where I am - at 10% untranslated helpcontent2 - then maybe Pootle is really a good option to give access to everyone to these parts of Help that I'm not able to translate myself. I still do not understand how to get human-readable commit logs using XLIFF format, as reading of commit logs is the mother of wisdom. Important thing I learned - it was how to pronounce word 'GNOME'. Interesting, do local Gnome translators know it? Back to hotel, learned to use Barcelona's metro, then to Sagrada Familia to see it highlighted in night. 19.09 Woke up early, to Zoo. Met my grandfather and other relatives. Then tried to swim in sea at Barceloneta. There was although no need to swim. It was enough to stay in 20-cm-water and wait for next big wave. In evening back to Sagrada Familia to see it from inside and visit the museum. Biggest experience was the hanging model made by Gaudi for structural analysis. Simple conclusion - when there is no computer, you have to build one. 20.09 In 9 AM from Plaza Catalunya straight to Montserrat monastery, afterwards to Freixenet cava industry. Was a great trip, thanks to our guide Adrian who also took a picture from me and my family! In the late evening to see Magic Fountain of Mountjuic. 21.09 Starting to pack. Then to stores to buy souvenirs, dinner, taxi, airport, 4 hours flight, at 23 PM back in Tallinn. Waiting for luggage whole hour, searching a) where I left my car b) where I left my parking ticket. In 3.00 at night back in home. Resume: There are many dogs in streets of Barcelona, but I've seen only two cats. Apparently dogs are destroyed all cats. I find it great. I have a foxterrier at home and we share some attitudes about a lot of things.