Re: DebInst1 again :)

[Christian Perrier <bubulle@debian.org>]

Quoting Clytie Siddall (clytie@riverland.net.au):
> I'm not sure if this string should be included in the translatable file:
> 
> >
> > setenv SystemPartition 
> >scsi(${BOOTBUS})disk(${BOOTID})rdisk(${BOOTLUN})
> > partition(8)\n
> > setenv OSLoadPartition 
> >scsi(${ROOTBUS})disk(${ROOTID})rdisk(${ROOTLUN})
> > partition(${ROOTPART})\n
> > setenv OSLoader arcboot\n
> > setenv OSLoadFilename Linux
> 
> since it's a list of commands which need to be entered literally...?


It can't be separated from its context. This is why it is in the PO
files. In debconf templates, the whole template text is likely to be
marked as translatable or not. But strings you see in the PO files are
individual *paragraphs* of templates. So, if a given templates has
several paragraphs with at least one containing translatable material,
then we need to mark the whole template as translatable. Hence, the
untranslatable paragraphs also end up in PO files.

Of course, you can here just copy/paste the English text. This is even
recommended as the formatting is important (for instance the "\n"'s you
may find).

While I am at it, please note that variables should NOT be translated
even when they belong to a translatable text.

Example: 

msgid "Partition number ${NUMBER}"

Should be translated in French as:

msgstr "Partition numéro ${NUMBER}"

and NOT:

msgstr "Partition numéro ${NUMERO}"

This is VERY VERY VERY important.

Thankfully, such checks have been included in spelcchecking scripts
(See http://d-i.alioth.debian.org/spellcheck/)