Keyboard accelerators
Adiel Mittmann
I have recently updated the Brazilian Portuguese translation. I am concerned
about the keyboard accelerators though. What's the best way for me to ensure a
key was used only once?
I hate it when I try to use a keyboard accelerator in a program (say, Alt-A)
just to find out it has been assigned to more than one menu item.
But when I'm translating a string, I don't know exactly where it will be used.
I don't know what other strings I should care about (if this string is for a
menu, what other strings are for the same menu?). Of course, I can always take
a look at the source code, but the strings are scattered there.
How do you guys handle that?
Thanks.
PS: the http://wxwidgets.org/about/i18n.php page is broken.
--
Adiel Mittmann
Stephane Junique
I am involved in the translation to French, and we don't have any
strategy for that, as far as I know.
But I can share some experience as a user. Being a French living in
Sweden, I am in contact with programs in French (seldom), English
(often) and Swedish (just as often). And god what I hate when the
shortcuts of a program change depending on the language settings.
My main system at work is a Windows box in English, but I also use
another machine with Windows (and all pre-installed programs) in
Swedish. Having MS Word behave differently depending on the interface
language annoys me to no end.
So my current opinion is that the shortcuts should remain the same when
we translate interfaces. Of course, binding shortcuts like this may seem
dumb to users who only use only language (the vast majority of them).
Also, I don't know how to bind a shortcut if the letter you want to use
as a bound is not in the entry (for example, how do you use 'Alt-F' if
the word is Arkiv instead of File ?).
Regards,
Stephane
Renato Pavičić
I'm having a same problem as Adiel. I try to use shorcuts like MS does (in
localized software, in English only if there is no localized version by
MS) because most users from Croatia are accustomed to those shortcuts.
If there is no description for menu item / shortcut, my second option is
in range from guessing to testing. This is very hard, I know. Somemetimes
I spend more time on testing than on actual translation, but you have to
do it :(
But, I have to dissagree with Stephane. Making 100% universal shortcuts is
not possible (there is no F in Croatian translation for File as well), and
beside all - we are not translating for ourselves. About 10% of items I
localize I personaly do not agree with, but I have to do it like that
because of language rules and/or majority support. More and more users in
Croatia are accustomed to see localized software, and having a hotkey that
is equivalent to first latter in localized term (or any appropriate
letter) is more favorable than having a hotkey that one cannot associate
to anything.
best regards
Renato
Dana Fri, 02 Mar 2007 23:15:05 +0100, Stephane Junique <sj.n...@one.se>
napisali ste:
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--
Best regards,
Renato Pavicic
mailto:repa...@globalnet.hr
also mailto:ren...@translator-shop.org
homepage: www.translator-shop.org
Official Opera translator for Croatian language since April 2006
Stephane Junique
On second thought, I have to agree with you, Renato: our translations
aim at the vast majority of users who use only the version localised to
their own language.
I have no solution to propose, though, beside testing. But to test the
translations in the library (as opposed to your own program), we would
need a set of test programs that use *all* the strings inside the
library, or at least all those that are associated to a shortcut. Such a
set of programs does not exist, as far as I know...
Then again, aren't the strings associated with shortcut coming from the
sample programs (those that demonstrate the library classes) ? That
would make sense, since shortcuts are found in programs, not libraries
(AFAIK). If that is the case, then it does not matter how we translate
the shortcuts: the sample programs are here to demonstrated
functionalities to developers. They aren't meant to be used by end
users.
So a way of proceeding could be:
- When localising the library, don't bother about shortcut consistency,
it doesn't matter: those are shortcuts for the sample programs.
- When localising a program, make a list of all the shortcuts
beforehand, and choose in advance which shortcut will correspond to each
entry. Then do the translation. Then test.
Regards,
Stephane