diff --git a/README.i18n.md b/README.i18n.md new file mode 100644 index 00000000..61b4bdec --- /dev/null +++ b/README.i18n.md @@ -0,0 +1,110 @@ +# Colobot data translation + +The translation of Colobot level titles, level hierarchy and help files +is managed through [gettext](https://www.gnu.org/software/gettext/). + +## Level scene description files + +Level scene description files have english headers that are used in the +Colobot interface to describe the levels. Level scene description files +are levels/$level/scene.txt and translations are handled in the +level-specific po/ directory: levels/$levels/po/. The .pot file is the +source translation file, the *.po files are the translations. + +## Help files + +Helpfiles are divided in two categories: +* Generic helpfiles, about the game, the objects, the syntax, etc. These + are stored in help/ , in four sub-categories: generic, bots, object + and bots. +* Level-specific helpfiles, about the level, instructions, example + programs, etc. These are stored in levels/$level/help/. + +Helpfiles have their source in english, always stored in the E/ +subdirectory. To ensure retro-compatibility, existing translations have +not been integrated in the gettext-based translation mechanisms and are +stored in their respective one-character directories. New translations +snd updates to existing ones should really use the gettext-based +translation. + +## Colobot syntax + +Colobot parses a specific syntax to enable some formatting in the game +interface. + +To ease translation, this syntax is transformed into a pseudo-HTML +syntax in the gettext files. + +Here is the table of transformations and their meanings: + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Transformed labelColobot native labelDescription
<button $buttonID/>\button $buttonID;Indicates a UI button. $buttonID is a number
<key $keyCode/>\key $keyCode;Indicates a keyboard key. $keyCode is a code, such as action
<format $formatID>Formatted text</format>\$formatID;Formatted text\norm;Changes text formatting in the marker. $formatID can be const, type, token or key.
<$formatID/>\$formatID;Toggle text formatting. $formatID can be const, type, token, key or norm.
<a $link>Link text</a>\l;Link text\u $link;Direct hyper-link. $link can be direct or in a category (such as cbot\abstime)
<a $linkcat|$link>Link text</a>\l;Link text\u $linkcat\$link;In-category hyper-link, linkcat can only be cbot, bots or object.
<code>CBot code</code>\c;CBot code\n;Code formatting
<s/>\s;Typewriter line indicator (usually verbatim code)
<t/>\t;Title line indicator
<b/>\b;Subtitle line indicator
<c/>\c;Typewriter formatting toggle
<n/>\n;Normal formatting toggle
+