Re: [docbook-apps] UI strings vs manual strings ?

[Tony Graham <tgraham@antenna.co.jp>]

On 05/12/2022 23:05, Jean-Christophe Helary wrote:
> What's the best way in a DocBook centered process to ensure that the 
> list of terms used in a software UI is (semi-automatically?) taken 
> into account in the DocBook sources that describe that software?

I haven't had to do this, but since no-one else has responded yet...

> Problem at hand:
>
> - a Java application with ~2k UI strings (not all users facing), in
> a Bundle.properties file

Java also has an XML format for properties files.

> - a ~80K words DocBook manual
>
> It is not trivial to keep track of the whole string set (searches, 
> etc.)
>
> Also, the l10n process takes place on the DocBook sources, not on
> the HTML output, so tricks like <link linkend endterm/> don't work 
> because translators don't see the target terms.

Before translation, replace each <link/> with the replacement text from
the XML properties file wrapped in a well-known element that still
carries the identifier for the properties file entry.

After translation, if necessary, convert the well-known elements back
into <link/> and also do something to handle the strings that have been
translated differently in different places.

Once you have the properties file for a second language, you could
insert the translated strings in place of <link/> when preparing for
translation.  Alternatively, or as well, you could set up your
computer-aided translation tool to not translate the well-known elements
for the strings and insert the translated strings after everything else
is translated.

> I'm left with having to rewrite the strings explicitly and that's a 
> pain, and also adds risks of mistakes in translations.

The more that you can automate, the better.

Regards,


Tony Graham.
--
Senior Architect
XML Division
Antenna House, Inc.
----
Skerries, Ireland
tgraham@antenna.co.jp