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List:       kde-i18n-doc
Subject:    Re: usage of &kappname; in documentation
From:       Chusslove Illich <caslav.ilic () gmx ! net>
Date:       2009-02-25 11:51:55
Message-ID: 200902251251.56179.caslav.ilic () gmx ! net
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> [: Luciano Montanaro :]
> If it has to change whenever the application name changes, what's the
> point in using an entity?

&foobar; currently expands into <application>Foobar</application>, so one
might claim this as sufficient benefit to use entity notation.

On the other hand, I do wonder what's the benefit of
<application>...</application> in the first place, as application name
should neither stand out visually from rest of the text in rendered output
(at least from the viewpoint of English), nor it provides any linked
information for the reader. Perhaps someone more into Docbook can clarify
the utility.

> That's unforunate, [&kappname; entities] are pretty handy for languages
> where this isn't an issue [...]

This is a perennial issue, having no clear way to draw the line.

E.g. in UI, while noone would object three strings instead of one with %1,
regardless of the fact that less declinated languages are well off with %1,
it was also quite painfully obvious that the same wouldn't work with torrent
of message-name combinations in KGeography. But in between the two
extremes...

> Isn't it possible to use the cool scripting technology to solve this
> problem?

No. Scripting works dynamically, with an interpreter running in background
while application is executing, while documentation is static content (can
be delivered as HTML, PDF or even plain text).

Now, that is not to say that nothing can be done, that the things should
stay as they are.

One could propose something technically clever, how to alert heavy-
declinated languages about messages in need of change due to change of
underlying application name, while not influencing the languages not in such
need. I've no idea of the top of my head how to do this, just a fuzzy
feeling that it may be an overreach.

Or we could decide that &kappname; is sufficiently big win over all
languages, so that heavy-declinated languages should just do whatever they
can. Like using "helper words", such as translating "...with &kappname;..."
to equivalent of "...with application &kappname;..." (e.g. in my language
Microsoft's localized apps are known for this). Or maneuvering with sentence
composition to produce least negative impact of non-declinated name. Or
comming up with their own, custom system to track what they need if they
throw out entities. Or...

-- 
Chusslove Illich (Часлав Илић)
Serbian KDE translation team

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