stendhal/data/languages/README.md

Translating Stendhal

NOTE: localization is still a work-in-progress

Locale File Format

The file format is simple. It is a plain text file with each line representing either a translatable string or a comment (a line beginning with "#"). Comments and empty lines are ignored by the translation interface. Each line for a translatable string is made up three parts:

1. The original string (usually in English).
2. A "=" separator.
3. The locale's translation of the original string.

Example of translating the item name "dress" to Spanish:

dress=vestido

New Translations

1. Make sure the desired locale file does not already exist.

2. Copy the template (data/languages/template.txt) to a new file with the desired locale code.

   Example for Spanish: data/languages/template.txt -> data/languages/es.txt

3. Open the new locale file in a text editor.

4. Add the locale's equivalent translations to each string following the "=" separator.

NOTE: if a string should not be translated, simply delete the line

Updating Translations

1. Open the appropriate translation file in a text editor (example: data/languages/es.txt).
2. Find the string to be translated and update locale translation following the "=" separator.
3. If the string does not exist in the file simply add it followed by a "=" separator and the locale translation.