Sebastian Leupold wrote:
Maybe we should provide a list of these resource files - what do you think, would this be helpful?
I had made such a list for myself.
Under DNN 5.4, I had a translater translating to a portal0 resouce file. I then had a windows forms app that went through all the portal0 resource files and copied its entries to the host resource file, at which point the translation became available to all portals. I made a list like that, but once it was clear where to find those files, I switched my approach and scanned the appropriate folders for resource files, keeping a list of resource files to exclude from the process.
This is not really the problem. Too much of DNN is built around developpers experience, rather than around user experience. All elements are grouped around developers concepts, not where the user would want to use it. Your suggestion to work with two windows, one for the resource editor and one for the output was a good one, and I will try it, but it is very much a work-around, and linking a text to its resource would be much better in terms of user experience.
I was contemplating making a document connecting each key for a static label in the resource file to a screen shot of where it applies. When finished, I would reorganize the screenshots with their keys into a logical system for the translator. But I think the tool tip idea is better.
Ask you marketing department: the more translations, the bigger the potential market. There will never be a large group of users involved in translation, therefore, as such, translation will not be a popular improvement. But as every new translation opens a new potential market, it should be a priority for your marketing.
Also, think of the other concept for translation: the idea is to translate that 20% of the entries that account for 80% of the occurences... Think of solutions that facilitate this approach.
This solution would not solve all problems. Indeed, for error messages, we may have to come up with a different idea. Idem for emails etc. You would still have to go through the resource files. But error messages and emails offer a little more clues as to what they relate to.