[squirrelmail.git] / doc / translating_help.txt

Translating the help files.
---------------------------

I have tried to write the help files in plain english with good grammer.
Since English is not my strong point you probably can't tell, but I hope it helps.

The help files, at this point, are devided into functional areas.
Each .hlp file represents a different functional block of how the program looks to the user.

I put each sentance on a line of its own because I thought it might make 
it easier to translate. Hopefully as SquirrelMail is more widely used, 
non-english translations will be used to make other non-english translations.
You might want to keep this in mind when writing yours. Remember that these wil be used
All over the world and in many different environments so local language dialects might
confuse someone else. 

File Structure.

All translated files should be placed under the hlp directory.
Under the hlp directory create another directory. This directory MUST be named
to the two letter standard abbreviation for the language. English is "en" and 
Spanish would be "sp" for example.

The help files are written in the following format:
<P>
<A NAME=some_name></A>
<H1>Some Head</H1>
Some text on some subject.
</P>

<P>
<A NAME=some_name></A>
<H3>Some Head</H3>
Some text on some subject.
</P>

This is important because the left menu is dynamically built from what is inside the .hlp files.
All <A NAME></A>, <H1></H1>, and <H3></H3> tags MUST be on a line by themselves.
No modifiers may be used for the <A> anchor tags. Modifiers other than the NAME modifier
Will result in the additional modifier's inclusion in the left menu.
Any other tags used such as <H4> will be ignored. I am currently working on making all the
headers which are already listed in the po file translate automatically. We'll see how this goes.
This will not work for files like FAQ.hlp and Basic.hlp which are not in the main program.

At the current time no logic is in place to check if help is written on a certain subject.
Commit	Line	Data
36c24f4f	1	Translating the help files.
ca1a555e	2	---------------------------
36c24f4f	3
	4	I have tried to write the help files in plain english with good grammer.
	5	Since English is not my strong point you probably can't tell, but I hope it helps.
	6
	7	The help files, at this point, are devided into functional areas.
	8	Each .hlp file represents a different functional block of how the program looks to the user.
	9
	10	I put each sentance on a line of its own because I thought it might make
	11	it easier to translate. Hopefully as SquirrelMail is more widely used,
	12	non-english translations will be used to make other non-english translations.
	13	You might want to keep this in mind when writing yours. Remember that these wil be used
	14	All over the world and in many different environments so local language dialects might
	15	confuse someone else.
	16
	17	File Structure.
	18
	19	All translated files should be placed under the hlp directory.
	20	Under the hlp directory create another directory. This directory MUST be named
	21	to the two letter standard abbreviation for the language. English is "en" and
	22	Spanish would be "sp" for example.
	23
	24	The help files are written in the following format:
	25	<P>
	26	<A NAME=some_name></A>
	27	<H1>Some Head</H1>
	28	Some text on some subject.
	29	</P>
	30
	31	<P>
	32	<A NAME=some_name></A>
	33	<H3>Some Head</H3>
	34	Some text on some subject.
	35	</P>
	36
	37	This is important because the left menu is dynamically built from what is inside the .hlp files.
	38	All <A NAME></A>, <H1></H1>, and <H3></H3> tags MUST be on a line by themselves.
	39	No modifiers may be used for the <A> anchor tags. Modifiers other than the NAME modifier
	40	Will result in the additional modifier's inclusion in the left menu.
	41	Any other tags used such as <H4> will be ignored. I am currently working on making all the
	42	headers which are already listed in the po file translate automatically. We'll see how this goes.
	43	This will not work for files like FAQ.hlp and Basic.hlp which are not in the main program.
	44
	45	At the current time no logic is in place to check if help is written on a certain subject.
	46