Shoutbox

I have been discussing lately in one of those controverted translation threads about an unofficial language included in MP!. And that drove me to the idea of suggesting an interseting feature in Messenger Plus!:
The Language Downloader!

I've thought that if it's becoming a real memory problem to add those lots of languages it would be very useful to download them from the net.

Obviusly, all MP! users have Internet, so it shouldn't be considered a problem.

Even a dial-up connection wouldn't have many problems to download 30kB (or 5kB as Choli told me yesterday, hopefully compressed) they would download anyway once per language file included.

Well, the download of the selected language files (the actual language list should be retrieved at the beginning of the Setup) could be during the setup, before the sponsor agreement.

If there's no Internet connection (no language has/can bee/n selected), a message (in English) can suggest the user to download the language later, and remember it once signed in in Messenger:

"Remember you can choose another language NOW in the Plus! > Preferences > Language Panel".

Well, Choli himself found it useful, I don't know if Patchou will.

Another advantage is that we, translators, could upload anytime new versions or corrections to the server. MP! could ask once a week if the version on the server is newer than the installed!

I seriuosly duobt it could suppose a bandwidth overload...

That's all for now.

A splendid suggestion! I second that!!

quote:

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Originally posted by KeyStorm
Well, the download of the selected language files (the actual language list should be retrieved at the beginning of the Setup) could be during the setup, before the sponsor agreement.

If there's no Internet connection (no language has/can bee/n selected), a message (in English) can suggest the user to download the language later, and remember it once signed in in Messenger:

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Plus should include the files with the translation into all languages of the setup screens and maybe the main plus menu and a new entry called update language (or download new languages). During setup OR any other time, the user could be able to check if there are new translations avialable and download them. All the texts showed to do that should be in local language not (only) in english (that would be better, i mean).
That way, the user will be able to download any language that will be in the server (either when installing, or after that).
Doing this, we, translators, could update our files and ieach time plus checks for a new version of itself, it could check if there is a new version of the current language used.

quote:

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Originally posted by KeyStorm
we, translators, could upload anytime new versions or corrections to the server.

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the best would be that we (only one or two traslators per language) have an account at the server where we could update the file whenever we want (and maybe also manage the emails of other translators in our language (bacause sometimes there are people who are in the email list and don't help in the translation)).

Btw, talking about languages... Why the language selection is global to all users? ie: I would like to have plus in spanish for one of my accounts and in english for the other. That will help me when I want to tell people how to do things.

I agree...

But as always I have some points:
Everything that is suggested can be done already... Languages can be updated and posted as much as you/we want on the forums. IMHO the only advantage that the suggestion will bring, is that it will be centralised which is a very good thing by the way (now, you have to search in the forum for a language-update).

quote:

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Originally posted by CookieRevised
now, you have to search in the forum for a language-update

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think in user who don't understand english. for they the update system will be much easier that searching the forums.

edit:

and also, the user won't have to worry about how to install the language because it'd be done automaticly by plus. (i know that doing it manually is easy, but I can assure you that there are a  lot of people who don't know copy-paste files )

agreed, that's also what I mean by centralisation. (otherwise what's the point in centralizing it...)

Well, Choli's idea isn't that bad . With the necessary strings in all languages, but then: which languages??
All? too much work for Patchou and for translators if they have to create two separate files... Well perhaps then with all national languages available we'd be done. (What would affect my own language *d'oh*, well Patchou will understand Catalan is necessary ¬_¬ ) Just kiddin'.
Well, let's see if Patchou finds it well, too.
And yes, centralisation would be comfortable for users and translators. NIce!

quote:

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Originally posted by KeyStorm
which languages??
All? too much work for Patchou and for translators if they have to create two separate files...

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that can be easily done using a simple program that splits the file (extracting one or two or the needed sections). I'd add that feature to my translator.

quote:

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Originally posted by Choli
that can be easily done using a simple program that splits the file (extracting one or two or the needed sections). I'd add that feature to my translator.

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Nice!

Listen:
If we are going to upload the files... With a PHP script we could actually edit the file that is online directly.
Hey guys I can some PHP and would be proud of helping the translators communuity
If Patchou accepts the idea, I could build it within this weekend!
All security issues... I don't know much about this... but the actual tool mustn't very hard to do... (If Choli could... ).