The @file{trunk/Locales} directory exists to store the translation

messages used to produce content in different languages.

Translation messages are organized using the directory structure of

the component being translated. For example, if we want to provide

translation messages for @file{trunk/Manuals/Filesystem}, then the

@file{trunk/Locales/Manuals/Filesystem} directory needs to be created.

Once the locale directory exists for the component we want to provide

translation messages for, it is necessary to create the translation

files where translation messages are. The translation files follows

the concepts of @command{xml2po} and GNU @command{gettext} tools.

The basic translation process is as follow: first, translatable

strings are extracted from files and a portable object template (.pot)

is created or updated with the information. Using the portable object

template, a portable object (.po) is created or updated for translator

to locale the messages retrived.  Finally, a machine object (.mo) is

created from portable object to sotore the translated messages.

Inside the repository there are two ways to retrive translatable

strings from files. The first one is through @command{xml2po} command

and the second through @command{xgettext} command. The @command{xml2po}

is used to retrive translatable strings from XML files (e.g., Scalable

Vector Graphics, DocBook, etc.) and the @command{xgettext} command is

used to retrive translatable strings from shell scripts files (e.g.,

the files that make the @command{centos-art.sh} command-line

interface).

When translatable strings are retrived from XML files, using the

@command{xml2po} command, there is no need to create the machine

object as we do when translatable strings ar retrived from shell

files, using the @command{xgettext} command. The @command{xml2po}

produces a temporal machine object in order to create a translated XML

file. Once the translated XML file has been created the machine object

is no longer needed. On the other hand, the machine object produced by

the @command{xgettext} command is required by the system in order for

the show shell script localized messages.

Another difference between @command{xml2po} and @command{xgettext} we

need to be aware of is the directory structure used to store machine

objects. In @command{xml2po}, the machine object is created in the

current working directory as @file{.xml2po.mo} and can be safetly

removed once the translated XML file has been created. In the case of

@command{xgettext}, the machine object needs to be stored in the

@file{$TEXTDOMAIN/$LOCALE/LL_MESSAGES/$TEXTDOMAIN.mo} file in order

for the system to interpret it and should not be removed since it is

the file that contain the translation messages themselves.

Automation of localization tasks is achived through the @code{locale}

functionality of command-line interface.

@menu

* trunk Scripts Bash centos-art Functions Locale::

@end menu