Software for translators: Ini Translator and more

Ini Translator

Ini Translator (Portable) is a special tool for tranlation "ini-style" language files. Like Poedit, Ini Translator here shows only original and translated text without sections and INI keys. If use plugins, then is possible get a different look child windows. Example: Ini Translator -> Plugins -> Tree view... (screenshot). After Tree View child window is closed, translated text get copyied to main window.

Ini Translator automatically remove outdated unnecessary strings (you can see and handle them here: Ini Translator -> View -> View Orphaned Items) and arranges mixed sequence of strings to correct.

There are some disadvantages. The main thing is that this tool creates unnecessary empty lines (without strings) at the end of each section. But on completion of the translation this lines can be easily removed with text editors. Finally translated strings must be have sequence number as original strings.

License: Mozilla Public License Version 1.1
Required operating systems: Microsoft Windows 98/2000/ME/XP/Vista.
Not known about support of modern operating systems - Windows 7/8.

For start the translation need to be open two files - the original (English.locale) and translated from latest version of Platform: Ini Translator -> File -> Open Original... Shift+Ctrl+O. When open locales, file name extension must be selected: Files of type: -> All files (screenshots: original, translated).

Ini Translator homepage (wiki) not working, but similar content is in the Help files. Ini Translator Help available here: Ini Translator -> Help -> Help F1 (or press toolbar Help button). Offline Help files opens with system default web browser: C:\Program Files\Ini Translator\help\translator.html

Ini Translator Help also available in Microsoft Compiled HTML Help file format. But this file can not be opened from Ini Translator directly, it is only located in his Program Files folder: C:\Program Files\Ini Translator\help\translator.chm.

You can read CHM format files with the built in Windows HTML Help Viewer or with SumatraPDF (Portable).

Direct download link of Ini Translator 1.9.0.52 (2007-10-23) installer (15,7 MB): initrans19052_full.exe
Hash values:

SHA256: 904a29c634ab2be2427c782c0d3a35877d223c45b65c5f3df0a7692e74fe74cf
SHA1: 	df8be61c6e4699b4491266174f83da27852a5849
MD5: 	b1b60f95e3bc95f37abf4565e6584ac8

WinMerge

Differencies of various versions locale files you can see with WinMerge (Portable). Need to open a two different release versions English.locale files (previous and newest) and you can see strings with changed content, removed and new strings (screenshot).

Notepad++

Notepad++ (Portable) text editor for editing locale files.

If the locale content is copied from forum, downloaded from Pastebin or similar sites, then is necessary encoding it in UCS-2 Little Endian (UCS-2LE) for translating with Ini Translator (must first encode) or testing translation on Platform: Notepad++ -> Encoding -> Encode in UCS-2 Little Endian. Notepad++ have 2 options: Encode and Convert, more about this differencies there.

Note: Locale files taken from Platform packages already have encoding UCS-2LE, translation does not change it.

If used Ini Translator, then with Notepad++ you can remove unnecessary empty strings.

If you have this problem, then you can use SynWrite (SourceForge project) (screenshot). Tree Structure and Clipboard History panels can be closed to free up more space in SynWrite window for editing locale files. If necessary, later they can be restored: SynWrite -> View ... . If you want, then you can enable word wrap feature with: SynWrite -> View -> Toggle word wrap Ctrl+U (screenshot).

SynWrite UCS-2LE encoded file incorrectly recognize as UTF-16. Also Notepad++ not distinguish those almost equal, but a little different encodings, and UTF-16 incorrectly recognize as UCS-2LE.

However, for encoding locale file in UCS-2LE you can use Notepad++, no need to worry if not displayed Korean letters - open, encode and save file.

This problem with Korean (if "mixed" with Latin letters) on Notepad++ not a new.

7-Zip

7-Zip (Portable) - file archiver. With this tool you can extract locale files from Platform installers without installation: 7-Zip -> Open archive -> Open -> Open -> Open -> Extract (screenshot).

About INI key ContributedBy

Some language files had outdated INI key in PortableApps.comLocaleDetails section without a letter r - ContibutedBy. Later key in English.locale was corrected to ContributedBy:

ContributedBy=John T. Haller

But in many translations this mistake remained. Here is a forum reply about this. It does not affect the ability to work Platform, it is only for technical information about credit names of contributors.

For updating with Ini Translator, first is necessary select this string with one click on it (screenshot). Then open Orphaned Items window: Ini Translator -> View -> View Orphaned Items. In opened Orphaned Items window over the string ContibutedBy with a right click open menu and choose: Paste into current item Ctrl+V (screenshot). Now string have right INI key and shows the names of translators (screenshot). In Translation window result will appear after other actions. For changing marker icon from "the item is not translated" to "the item is translated" with right click over the string and choose: Translated Ctrl+T. Also here result will appear after other actions.

Locales with this outdated INI key: Afrikaans, Albanian, Arabic, Armenian, Basque, Belarusian, Bulgarian (updated), Catalan, Chinese (Traditional), Croatian, Czech (updated), Dutch (updated), English (Great Britain) (updated), Estonian, Farsi, Filipino, Finnish, Galician, Hebrew, Indonesian, Irish, Japanese, Korean, Lithuanian, Luxembourgish, Macedonian, Malay, Norwegian (updated), Polish (updated), Portuguese (updated), Serbian, Serbian (Latin), Slovak, Spanish (updated), Spanish (International) (updated), Sundanese, Swedish, Tamil, Turkish, Ukrainian and Vietnamese.

2 unnecessary strings

2 unnecessary strings in FORM_OPTIONS section (strings must be removed).

1.:

MENU_OPTIONS_LANGUAGE_SWITCHING=App Language S&witching

Locales with this unnecessary string: Arabic, Bulgarian, Catalan, Czech, Farsi, Galician, Hebrew, Italian, Lithuanian, Serbian, Serbian (Latin), Spanish (International), Turkish, Ukrainian and Vietnamese.

2.:

THEMES_BEVELED=Beveled

Locales with this unnecessary string: Afrikaans, Basque, Catalan, Croatian, Danish, English (Great Britain), Estonian, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Sundanese, Swedish, Tamil, Thai and Turkish.

2 repeated strings

1. Repeated string in FORM_MAIN section (the second string must be removed):

MENU_MANAGE_APPS_CHECK_FOR_UPDATES=Check For &Updates

Locales with this repeated string: Afrikaans, Basque, Catalan, Chinese (Traditional), Croatian, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Spanish, Sundanese, Swedish, Tamil, Thai and Turkish.

2. Repeated string in SUBCATEGORIES section (the first string must be removed):

Presentations=Presentations

Locales with this repeated string: Basque, Catalan, Chinese (Traditional), Croatian, Danish, English (Great Britain), Estonian, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish and Sundanese.

8 strings with changed content. NOTE: Need to check manually, strings is updated or not!

This strings already translated in many languages, but in some translations need updates.

5 strings in FORM_MAIN section (screenshot 1 and screenshot 2):

1. Outdated string:

ICON_MANAGE_APPS=Manage &Apps

Current string changed to (removed: Manage):

ICON_MANAGE_APPS=&Apps

2. Outdated string:

MENU_MANAGE_APPS_CHECK_FOR_UPDATES=Check For Updates

Current string changed to (included ampersand: &):

MENU_MANAGE_APPS_CHECK_FOR_UPDATES=Check For &Updates

3. Outdated string:

MENU_MANAGE_APPS_GET_MORE_APPS=Get More Apps

Current string changed to (included ampersand: &):

MENU_MANAGE_APPS_GET_MORE_APPS=&Get More Apps

4. Outdated string:

MENU_MANAGE_APPS_GET_MORE_APPS_NEW_APPS=New Apps

Current string changed to (Apps changed to Releases):

MENU_MANAGE_APPS_GET_MORE_APPS_NEW_APPS=New Releases

5. Outdated string:

MENU_MANAGE_APPS_GET_MORE_APPS_RECENTLY_UPDATED=Recently Updated Apps

Current string changed to (removed: Apps):

MENU_MANAGE_APPS_GET_MORE_APPS_RECENTLY_UPDATED=Recently Updated

1 string in FORM_OPTIONS section:

6. Outdated string:

ADVANCED_KEYBOARD_FRIENDLY=Keyboard-Friendly Selections in Updater and App Directory

Changed to (Keyboard changed to Screen Reader):

ADVANCED_KEYBOARD_FRIENDLY=Screen Reader-Friendly Selections in Updater and App Directory

2 strings in UPDATER section (screenshot):

7. Outdated string:

COLUMN_RELEASE_DATE=Released On

Current string changed to (removed: On):

COLUMN_RELEASE_DATE=Released

8. Outdated string:

COLUMN_UPDATED_DATE=Updated On

Current string changed to (removed: On):

COLUMN_UPDATED_DATE=Updated

Example

1. With WinMerge:

• Compares the previous version original language file (English.locale) with newest original language file. It is necessary to verify or is not any change in the content of already translated strings.

2. With Notepad++:

• Encode in UCS-2 Little Endian. Only if necessary - if the locale content is copied from forum, downloaded from Pastebin or similar sites. Locale files from Platform packages already have this encoding.

3. With Ini Translator:

• Open original language file (English.locale), then translated language file.
• If the string ContributedBy of existing translation is empty (does not contain names of previous translators), then it need to be update.
• To be update 6 strings with changed the content (if not updated).
• Translate all strings of the locale.

4. With Notepad++ or SynWrite:

• Remove unnecessary empty lines (without strings) created with Ini Translator.
• Save the locale file.

Translation style you can learn there.

If you need to resolve a problem with translation, then you can post new topic in Localization Discussion Forum.

Finalized content of translated locale file you can post in PortableApps.com Platform Localization Updates topic directly in forum comment if used Preformatted (PRE) tag (Compose tips) or in Pastebin (select Paste Exposure: Public) and then post link in comment.