True language packs needed

interfasys

interfasys

Verified User
Joined
Oct 31, 2003
Messages
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Location
Switzerland
I know we've talked a bit about this issue before, but I think we really need DA to officially provide support for translations.

Skin translation is not enough.
Error messages, words in emails, other hardcoded texts will give our users a pretty bad image about the quality of the service we can provide. User : "If the cp is half translated, will the maintenance be half done?"

It's especially true with error messages. If someone does not understand english, he won't understand what the cp tells him and won't be able to correct the situation.

Besides, the way it's designed right now forces us to have three copies of each skin if we want to offer three languages. It's inefficient. A user should be able to select one language.

what do you think?
 
Hello,

Yes, I agree that we need an integrated language system. The problem at the momment is that it would be a tremendous amount of work to convert the error messages to file, but once that is done, then it would be a breeze importing different languages.

John
 
I would suggest a language TO-DO list with different sections that all the DA "community" and outside users would be able to check and translate into their own language and returned to DA for approval.

This would mean that not all the job would have to be on your side and users could also pitch-in to help accelerate the process and correct any errors that they could find. What better then a person that reads and speaks a certain language to write it in is own language.
 
Maybe I didn't understand Support's answer, but to me it's not a "translate the texts" issue. They need to first extract all the messages from the system.

I've had a look at Cpanel. It even let's you customize the languages from the cp.
 
interfasys said:
Maybe I didn't understand Support's answer, but to me it's not a "translate the texts" issue. They need to first extract all the messages from the system.

I've had a look at Cpanel. It even let's you customize the languages from the cp.
Click to expand...

Correct, what John is saying is that the error messages are hard-coded into DirectAdmin. Once they are removed and stored as constants in a language file, they can be translated to any language an admin desires.

Cpanel has been around much longer, but DirectAdmin is much more cost effective, cleaner, faster and an overall better product. One thing you'll note is that DirectAdmin has a forum and they DO listen to your suggestions. Please don't go with CPanel - once you've experienced DA you'll know why.
 
I was with CPanel a long time ago and never went back, but I like to see what's implemented elsewhere and how they have done it when I reach a limitation ;)
 
I can't agree more that we need language files. Cpanel's skin is so time consuming when it comes to localization.

If DA is working on more new functions now, more work load will come afterwards to make the language file available.

All we don't mind to contribute the translation!! It expands DA's market alot more as many many control panel ignores the needs of the market outside of US.
 
wtn said:
I can't agree more that we need language files. Cpanel's skin is so time consuming when it comes to localization.

If DA is working on more new functions now, more work load will come afterwards to make the language file available.

All we don't mind to contribute the translation!! It expands DA's market alot more as many many control panel ignores the needs of the market outside of US.
Click to expand...

I've never seen the DA source code, but my take on this is that it should be moderately simple to do. I'm sure John has thought about this, but this is my suggestion:

1) There is more than likely a single error handling function that is called in the event of all errors. The error message/reason is passed to this function and output in the browser.

2) Create a language pack with C/C++ "consts" and set them equal to the language equivalent to that error message.

3) Go through the DA source and replace all instances of the error message reason (the value passed to the error function) with the constant name stored in the language pack.

4) Problem solved. :-D

Again, I've not seen the DA code, and I don't know how much there is to it, but implementing this, in theory (at least) is not hard.
 
Hello,

I already know what needs to be done, and how I'm going to do it, but it's just the fact that there are serveral THOUsand messages to go through and reformat. (Will use the tokenizer.)

John
 
If you were to do it all over again would you start out initially with the language files? I'm thinking of doing it that way with a script I'm working on.

Well.. anyway, good luck :)
 
DirectAdmin Support said:
Hello,

I already know what needs to be done, and how I'm going to do it, but it's just the fact that there are serveral THOUsand messages to go through and reformat. (Will use the tokenizer.)

John
Click to expand...

Assuming you make all references to your error handling function in the same manner, you can write a simple script to open your source as text, match a specific regex statement, and replace your error w/ the proper token. While parsing it, output the error messages that WERE in the source to the language file, and BADA BING...you're in business!
 
If you were to do it all over again would you start out initially with the language files? I'm thinking of doing it that way with a script I'm working on.
Click to expand...
Of course :)
But since this is DA 1.x, we didn't think of absolutely everything, so to start from scratch again would cause for a very awsome panel. (Would have all the "major" features that we are currently working on / want to add)

John
 
Heard! heard! I make my own skins. Every package we have has it own skin and language. Works fine (why should i blind a customer with an only e-mail account with all the other DA options?) The hardcoded language part is very..very disturbing though !! AND not doing fine in promote our image and helping our branding. :o. The internet is getting into the small villages around the world (from educated farmers in Denmark to non english speaking workers in Bosnia, China, Marocco .) I'm dutch, our Support department is in South Africa, the servers are placed in California, the technical staff is in Romania and we sell from Denmark. That's the future! And please make it possible for all our non english speaking customers to follow up on a error message from DA without posting unneccesary support tickets!
 
I take it that you've created this skin using php right?

Well anyway, would it be possible to share this skin with the rest of us? I'm sure a lot of people would be interested in having skins that can accomodate restricting access to some functions.
 
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