Re: How to update a po file collection when upstream also change them
> Then, on new upstream release, you have 3 files: orig.po, curr.po and new.po
> - resync new.po against the pot, since some debian patch may add msgids
> - foreach msgid in new.po
> if it wasn't in curr.po also, take the new translation and go ahead
> else
> if msgstr(orig) != msgstr(curr) # was improved internally
> if msgstr(orig) == msgstr(new) # wasn't improved upstream
> take translation from curr.po
> else # was improved upstream
> concatenate the translations from curr and from new, and mark fuzzy
> else # wasn't improved internally
> Take translation from new.po
This scheme is theoretically correct, however it is quit elikely to
lead to consistency problems.
If the new translation in Debian is not only "better" than the
original but also brings changes in the terminology (with good
internal consistency), re-bringing strings from the original changed
translation is likely to break the consistency if they are somewhat
"mixed" with the "Debian" translations.
IMHO, when it comes to upstream translations, the first goal, if the
Debian translation is supposed to be "better", is integrating it
upstream.
This is barely what we did with shadow. After the big improvements
made by Debian translators to shadow translations, the upstream
maintainer has decided to rely on Debian translators and now deals
directly with them, sending them calls for updates for his new
upstream releases. And, then, we won't care anymore about shadow
programs translations in Debian, as they will be handled upstream.
Of course, this assumes that Debian translators, Debian maintainers,
upstream translators and upstream maintainers are able to work
together...which is not obvious...especially when Debian translators
and upstream translators have different opinions and review processes.
So, maybe your idea of keeping 3 versions in the Debian WTT (Web
Translation Tool) is interesting.....but I'm not sure whether it's
good to generate stuff automatically from that.
But, in general, this enforces my current opinion: we (Debian
translators) should not work on upstream translations, inside
Debian. When it's needed, because translations are obviously of poor
quality, then we can make an exception and, *after agreement with the
Debian package maintainer* include the new software in the WTT.
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