11 Dec
2002
11 Dec
'02
2:37 p.m.
This is *exactly* why I'm proposing the use of a
structured text file
that matches the structure of the plugin's "exported" names. The
*structure* is what you go by; not the actual words. A host would not
even have to ask the plugin for the english names, but just look up
the corresponding position in the XML and get the name from there
instead.
You've basically described gettext(), which happens to be the standard way
of doing localization in modst code.
The plugin can be aware of it, if they want, or not. Let's assume not, and
they just get translated.
Plugin has English strings.
Host reads English strings.
Host examines some environment variables set by user to ID their locale.
Host looks up English string in the $locale specific hash.
English works.
Other Latin languages works.
Other character set languages work, if no one tries to index into strings.
I had thought about making reccomendations about this, but decided there was
no need. Plugins don't display anything themselves (modulo UIs which we
haven't even breached, and let's not, yet). Leave loclaization to the host
and the translators.
Tim