Translating ScummVM ?

saulob · Post by **saulob** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 9:19 pm

Ok, I searched, no luck... so....

I don't know if it's already possible... but

Can I translate the ScummVM program ?

I mean, just from the Front End... like:

'Start'
'Add Game...'
'Options'
'About'

Something like that ?

Thanks

clem · Post by **clem** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 9:45 pm

you could change the strings, then recompile

why anyone would want to do that is beyond me, though

(as far as I know there have been feature requests about that, they have always been rejected)

clem

PsYcO · Post by **PsYcO** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 12:31 am

clem wrote:you could change the strings, then recompile

why anyone would want to do that is beyond me, though

(as far as I know there have been feature requests about that, they have always been rejected)

clem

maybe cause they cant read english? maybe im just being ignorant... but i thought people speak other languages too

clem · Post by **clem** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 8:45 am

PsYcO wrote: maybe cause they cant read english? maybe im just being ignorant... but i thought people speak other languages too

you're of course right, but where to stop then? translate the README? the FAQ? the website? translate every forum post?

I guess everyone who knows enough English to find the download link on the ScummVM website knows enough English to set up a game

http://sourceforge.net/tracker/index.ph ... tid=418823

PsYcO · Post by **PsYcO** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 11:34 am

clem wrote:
PsYcO wrote: maybe cause they cant read english? maybe im just being ignorant... but i thought people speak other languages too
you're of course right, but where to stop then? translate the README? the FAQ? the website? translate every forum post?

I guess everyone who knows enough English to find the download link on the ScummVM website knows enough English to set up a game

http://sourceforge.net/tracker/index.ph ... tid=418823

well, it may cause fewer, non-speaking english people to get confuced, resulting in fewer noob posts

clem · Post by **clem** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 11:51 am

PsYcO wrote: well, it may cause fewer, non-speaking english people to get confuced, resulting in fewer noob posts

in my experience noob posts mostly result from:
- inability to read forum rules (ie asking for warez)
- not reading documentation (README etc)
- computer illiteracy (ie "how do I copy files to my HD")

I doubt that can be fixed by translating the GUI - I even think that lots of noob posts come from people with English as their first language in the first place

it strikes me as odd that people who apparently don't understand the GUI are able to sign up for the forum and often post their questions in fairly good English

clem
(who, back in the day, fought his way through Countdown with a small, yellow dictionary)

Wintermute · Post by **Wintermute** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 7:54 pm

clem wrote:I guess everyone who knows enough English to find the download link on the ScummVM website knows enough English to set up a game

No, unfortunately this is not quite correct. There are lots of people, who get relocated from foreign language forums directly to the download link. (The word "Download" is the only word, you actually have to know.

).

And I know many forums where people have really problems understanding the options of ScummVM!
I wondered why this software never got a multi-language option, seeing as this would be relatively (!) simple compared to other things and also considering the fact that many non-English versions of adventure games are supported.

you're of course right, but where to stop then? translate the README? the FAQ? the website? translate every forum post?

Quite simple: offer different language versions - or even better a single multi language version - of the installable software package, meaning in this case ScummVM and the accompanied Readme.

clem · Post by **clem** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 8:55 pm

could be worse, there are saturn emulators where everything is in japanese!

too bad April Fools is over, would have been nice to announce a strict language change to french for the whole project or something like that

PsYcO · Post by **PsYcO** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 11:46 pm

clem wrote:could be worse, there are saturn emulators where everything is in japanese!

i can only assume you would use one if they had an english version?

amazingly, some of the figures i found

170,000 units sold in japan
while only 80,000 in US(couldn't find europe)

using your logic, we have no right to complain since we're the minority

hell, we wouldn't want ScummVM to get more donations would we?

djsouza · Post by **djsouza** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 3:33 am

Translated versions of ScummVM would result in even more people around the world using the program.

I'm sure there are lots of people everywhere willing to contribute to such a great project with a translation of ScummVM. If only someone would be kind enough to tell us how to do it.

Just like ScummVM helped adventure fans experience again the great classics, I would be willing to help the ScummVM team gather even more fans in my country, with a brazilian version of it.

We get so few software and games in our language... it's difficult to most of us to use software in an entirely different language than ours... but we're obligated because we just don't have a choice.

If it's possible to translate the ScummVM tool and fans of the team are generous enough to translate it for free, than I really don't see why you wouldn't want that.

Post by **sev** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 8:10 am

djsouza wrote:Translated versions of ScummVM would result in even more people around the world using the program.

This has been in our TODO list for quite a while, and I personally even explained the task to several beginner developers. So far no code has been written, though I myself would also like to have this implemented.

It should be however implemented in a clean and universal way, so it will be maintainable in the future and perhaps, reloadable on the fly.

Eugene

fingolfin · Post by **fingolfin** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 10:58 am

Exactly. We have no fundamental problem with localizing ScummVM, but so far all attempts I saw in this regards were bad hacks. I have quite some experience localizing and translating software, including implementation various different kinde of flexible solutions for this. Unfortunately, I also have a regular job these days and not so much time to hack on ScummVM. I guess it's the same for other people on the team (sev being the obvious example here, he certainly is qualified for this task, too, but is even more busy than I am right now, I think

.

So, in short, we welcome a proper clean solution for this, and are also willing to guide and mentor a person implementing this, but currently have no plans to work on this ourselves.

Oh and bringing up donations when *any* feature is being discussed is a bad idea. We *never* will promise you to implement a certain feature in exchange for a donation (at least I certainly never will).

Herrscher · Post by **Herrscher** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 12:54 pm

clem wrote:
PsYcO wrote: maybe cause they cant read english? maybe im just being ignorant... but i thought people speak other languages too
you're of course right, but where to stop then? translate the README? the FAQ? the website? translate every forum post?

Oh yes. The README _needs_ translation! Not only from english to german (and others), but also from english to english! I'm not surprised that NOBODY reads this 5.000.000 byte mess without inner linking or surpressable directions for games one doesn't even posess.

If somebody would convert that to HTML, with linkage and JavaScript for unfolding games each, this would be harder to maintain, I guess?! Maybe an automatic generator from a text file, or some kind of meta language?

Also an adaptable GUI would be great, meaning: Gray out sections that don't apply to some games or make a wizard, that applies sane settings for > 90% of all gamers. Not everybody has a real MIDI-box built in and needs cruel audio options 98% of the gamers don't even understand (me included). Also most will have a box powerful enough for hi-quality scalers (Ask via messagebox for CPU power - or even better: auto-detect (in wizard mode)).

Also a HOWTO would be great in different languages. Per JavaScript switching on/off of different games, including needed files, etc. even some general Windows stuff (I'd guess that some of the guys who love this slow gameplay of adventures don't know anything more than to open the browser). Also I would guess that the average german "Baphomet's Fluch"-player doesn't even know that it is called "Broken Sword" in english-speaking countries. Also these putt-putt-games are plugging the datafiles section, too. If there aren't nearly as much players for that than for the other ones (which I guess), a seperate section would be appreciated.

Okay, this stuff applies to Windows users mainly. Everybody strong enough to use Linux or buy a Mac will have some knowledge about that all.

Also translated web pages were cool!
This of course does NOT include news or forum posts for god's sake.
But an introduction in PLAIN french/russian/... WHAT ScummVM is and what it is NOT could also help to defeat misunderstandings.
Maybe even just a minipage for different languages popping up.

Just my 2 cent. BTW, this is not meant as any kind of harassment or something!

I LOVE SVM!

Arantor · Post by **Arantor** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 2:13 pm

Well, if there's going to be a Documentation team (http://forums.scummvm.org/viewtopic.php?t=3741) wouldn't they do this?

I'm curious about how this might work now. *fires up text editor to have a play*

saulob · Post by **saulob** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 7:31 pm

Ok Guys, nice to see that more people want a language system.

That's great.

I can help on that, but I have no Ideia what to be made...

I can program (I'm a Web developer/PHP/ASP), I already worked with Pascal, Java... DOS BAT files.. these things...

And i'm a fast learner... So.. If anyone can helpme I can do it

We can make something like read a 'language.txt' file
and make the program it it... it will be amazing

Right now I compiled my ScummVM with some changes...

Check the screen:
http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/7738 ... mbrrs7.jpg

Check it:

'Sair' = 'Quit'
'Sobre' = 'About'
'Opções' = 'Options'

And some other texts... all PT-BR.. nice.. great...
(I included some texts on the About box, showing who did the PT-BR version, worked fine)

But there are some problems... like, on the options screen, there's 'Misc' tab anymore, how can I choose the modern theme ?

And the file size, it's only (after the strip command) 4,10mb, the original one it's 4,18mb (I'm building the 0.9.1 version guys)

Dunno if that difference say something...

I compiled using MinGW. Using the Wiki tutorial.

Strange thing is... when I use the './configure' command it doesn't found the FLAC installed:

"
Checking for Ogg Vorbis... yes
Checking for Tremor... no (Ogg Vorbis/Tremor support is mutually exclusive)
Checking for FLAC >= 1.0.1... no
Checking for MAD... yes
Checking for ALSA >= 0.9... no
Checking for zlib... yes
Checking for libmpeg2 >= 0.3.2... yes
Checking for libfluidsynth... no
Checking for nasm... /mingw/bin/nasm
"

And I installed it fine... I think that's the version number, don't know.
I got the 1.1.3 version, just like the Wiki said. so...

Well, there was no problem or errors compiling the exe, everything went fine.

Thank you guys for the help.