1.9.0 is intentionally neither string freeze or call for translations

[Christian Stimming]

Am Sonntag, 5. Februar 2006 15:51 schrieb Neil Williams:
> > > Are we having a string freeze before 1.9.0? 

Yes, we will need a formal "string freeze" period, and we (read: me) will have 
a clear definition for what this means. But not in 1.9.0. In one of the later 
1.9.x releases.

> > http://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Release_Schedule ?
>
> > The proposed string-freeze date is March 13th, concomitant with 1.9.2.
>
> I'm not sure it's long enough still.

Well, everything in that schedule is just a rough idea. 

The point about either a "call for translations" or a "string freeze" is that 
those two shouldn't go separately but rather together. It *really* *sucks* 
for a translator if you translate N messages, and on the next update, 20% of 
these N messages need to be reworked again. This *really* *really* sucks, and 
that is why a string freeze is needed. 

However, before we can go into string freeze we need to be "relatively sure" 
that really almost no string will need to be changed. With 1.9.0, we are not 
there yet. 1.9.0 is to get an initial tarball out of the door. For one of the 
later releases I will specifically ask to check the strings beforehand, and 
then we can call that a string freeze. In other words: I would intentionally 
*not* have a call for translations now. Instead, I would like to give the 
developers a little bit more time during which they are still free to change 
all strings in whichever way they please. There will be a time when this 
freedom is slightly restricted, but that is not now.

> Christian, can we adjust the translation schedule to allow for more time?

Of course -- we are free to postpone anything until later. :-) Seriously: It 
is totally fine to have not all translations in place at 2.0.0. Only a small 
subset of the translations will be there for 2.0.0 -- because the primary 
goal for 2.0.0 is not full translations but full stability. Full translations 
will be reached somewhere at 2.0.x.

> As long as translators are aware that a small proportion of the strings may
> change between now and the real string freeze, they can at least start
> working on the probable 1,000 fuzzy and 800 untranslated messages (which is
> roughly what I had with the en_GB translation) - about 25% of the entire po
> file.

Translators *can* already start, but to avoid potential disappointment about 
changing strings I don't actively encourage that now. See 
http://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Translation_Status . Please wait until we come 
close to a string freeze before you actively invite anyone for translations.

Christian