[Geoserver-devel] i18n : File encoding for Java properties files

GeoServer GeoServer Developer
1

Hello List,

I'd like to discuss, how to handle properties files for geoserver.

In the past, Christian
(http://www.mail-archive.com/geoserver-devel@lists.sourceforge.net/msg12071.html)
already started the discussion about UTF8 vs. some other encodings a
while ago. While I has been working on German translations in the last
weeks and month I was in close dialogue with translation specialists
from transifex.net.

Summarizing this communication:
- standard expected encoding for java properties files readers and
writers is ISO 8859-1 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO/IEC_8859-1),
see see javadoc 1.4
(http://docs.oracle.com/javase/1.4.2/docs/api/java/util/Properties.html)
and 6 (http://docs.oracle.com/javase/6/docs/api/java/util/Properties.html)
- "Characters that cannot be directly represented in this encoding can
be written using Unicode escapes" (\uXXXX)

I suggest to switch over to the ISO Standard encoding for properties
files. I guess eclipse also uses per default ISO 8559-1, if the
developer uses the Action "externalize Strings". IMHU it would be
easier to work with third-party tools like transifex, that explicit
working on the Java standards.

BTW, if all characters are encoded by \uXXXX sequences, everything
would be fine in the future.

Thanks for feedback and suggestions

-Frank

2

On Sun, Jan 22, 2012 at 8:32 PM, Frank Gasdorf <fgdrf@anonymised.com3…> wrote:

Hello List,

I’d like to discuss, how to handle properties files for geoserver.

In the past, Christian
(http://www.mail-archive.com/geoserver-devel@lists.sourceforge.net/msg12071.html)
already started the discussion about UTF8 vs. some other encodings a
while ago. While I has been working on German translations in the last
weeks and month I was in close dialogue with translation specialists
from transifex.net.

Summarizing this communication:

I suggest to switch over to the ISO Standard encoding for properties
files. I guess eclipse also uses per default ISO 8559-1, if the
developer uses the Action “externalize Strings”. IMHU it would be
easier to work with third-party tools like transifex, that explicit
working on the Java standards.

BTW, if all characters are encoded by \uXXXX sequences, everything
would be fine in the future.

As far as I know writing the property files in some languages (japanese,
chinese) in ISO 8859-1 with escape codes can be really hard,
but afaik in those case the xml format for property files is the
preferred one.

I’m not up to speed with what is going on with translations, is
everyone doing translations using this transifex.net site?

As for coding, the coders only add strings to the main (english)
property file afaik (well, maybe Christian adds to the German one
as well, not sure), and we do so manually, the Eclipse code to externalize
the strings is of little help, does not work with our customized Wicket
i18n subclasses (nor it would work with the standard ones afaik).

Anyways, I don’t mind about the encoding, both work for me, provided
that we reach to an agreement that works for all translators.

Speaking of which… who’s doing translations and how?
As far as I can see the devs are doing the initial work in English,
then there is you and Ives that cover German and French respectively?
Anyone else?

Cheers
Andrea

–

Ing. Andrea Aime
GeoSolutions S.A.S.
Tech lead

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