HueForge Translations

Welcome to the public repository for HueForge translation files! This repository serves as the central hub for adding and maintaining translations for the HueForge application.

Overview

HueForge uses Qt's translation system with .ts files (XML format) for internationalization. These files contain all the translatable strings from the application interface.

Getting Started

1. Get the Source Translation File

The main translation file is HueForge_en.ts, which contains the most recent set of untranslated English strings. This is your starting point for any new translation.

2. File Naming Convention

When creating a new translation, rename the source file using this format:

HueForge_[language_code]_[username].ts

Examples:

• HueForge_ja_tanaka.ts (Japanese by user "tanaka")
• HueForge_es_rodriguez.ts (Spanish by user "rodriguez")
• HueForge_zh-CN_community.ts (Simplified Chinese by "community")
• HueForge_es-MX_official.ts (Mexican Spanish, official version)

Where:

• language_code = 2-character language code (or 4 characters for regional variants like es-MX, zh-CN)
• username = Your preferred identifier as a translator

Note: Eventually there may be "official" or "community" versions for each language.

Translation Tools

Qt Linguist (Recommended)

Qt Linguist is the easiest and most powerful tool for working with .ts files.

Getting Qt Linguist:

• Windows: Download standalone executables from Qt-Linguist repository
• macOS/Linux: Install via Qt Maintenance Tool (standalone versions coming soon)
• Documentation: Qt Linguist Manual

Qt also maintains official localization files for Qt Linguist itself.

Alternative Tools

While Qt Linguist is recommended, you can also use:

• Any XML editor
• Text editors with XML syntax highlighting
• Other translation tools that support Qt's .ts format

Translation Workflow

1. Create Your Translation File

# Copy the source file
cp HueForge_en.ts HueForge_ja_yourname.ts

2. Open in Qt Linguist

1. Launch Qt Linguist
2. Open your newly created .ts file
3. Begin translating strings

3. Test Your Translation

1. In Qt Linguist: File → Release or File → Release As
2. This creates a .qm file (compiled translation)
3. In HueForge: Preferences → Language → Manage Languages
4. Add your .qm file to HueForge
5. Select your language from the language menu
6. Restart HueForge to see your translation in action

Updating Existing Translations

When new versions of HueForge_en.ts are released (containing new UI text), you can update your existing translation without losing your previous work.

Using the Translation Utility

Use the provided tools/ts_file_utility.py script for non-destructive updates:

# Update your translation with new strings from the latest source
python tools/ts_file_utility.py update HueForge_en.ts HueForge_ja_yourname.ts ja

This command will:

• ✅ Preserve all your existing translations
• ✅ Add new untranslated strings from the updated source
• ✅ Create a backup of your current file
• ✅ Handle placeholder formatting automatically

For more information about the translation utility, see the tools README.

Contributing

Direct Community Distribution

We encourage translators to:

• Share translation files directly within their communities
• Gather feedback and refine translations
• Collaborate with other speakers of the same language

Submitting to Repository

When your translation is ready for wider distribution:

1. Fork this repository
2. Add your translation file to the appropriate directory
3. Submit a pull request with:
   • Your translation file
   • Brief description of the translation
   • Any special notes or regional considerations

Translation Quality

To ensure high-quality translations:

• Test your translation thoroughly in the HueForge application
• Consider context and UI space constraints
• Maintain consistency in terminology
• Follow your language's localization conventions

File Structure

HueForge-Translations/
├── LICENSE                    # License file (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
├── README.md                 # This file
├── release files/            # Compiled translations (.qm) for use in HueForge
│   ├── Chinese - Simplified/
│   │   └── HueForge_zh_Evan76.qm
│   ├── French/
│   │   ├── HueForge_fr_Placeholder.qm
│   │   └── HueForge_fr_QuasarCreations3D.qm
│   └── Japanese/
│       ├── HueForge_ja_daisuke.qm
│       └── welcome_td_ja_daisuke.html
├── src/
│   ├── html/                 # Localized HTML content
│   │   ├── French/
│   │   │   └── welcome_td_fr_google.html
│   │   └── Japanese/
│   │       └── welcome_td_ja_daisuke.html
│   ├── json/                 # Reserved for future localization-related JSON
│   └── ts_files/             # Main translation sources (.ts files)
│       ├── HueForge_en.ts
│       ├── Chinese - Simplified/
│       │   └── HueForge_zh_Evan76.ts
│       ├── French/
│       │   ├── HueForge_fr_PlaceholderMixed.ts
│       │   ├── HueForge_fr_QuasarCreations3D.ts
│       │   └── HueForge_fr_QuasarCreations3DMixed.ts
│       └── Japanese/
├── tools/
│   ├── README.md             # Tool usage instructions
│   └── ts_file_utility.py    # Script for merging/updating .ts files

Language Codes Reference

Common language codes for translation files:

Language	Code	Example Filename
Japanese	ja	HueForge_ja_username.ts
Spanish	es	HueForge_es_username.ts
Spanish (Mexico)	es-MX	HueForge_es-MX_username.ts
French	fr	HueForge_fr_username.ts
German	de	HueForge_de_username.ts
Chinese (Simplified)	zh-CN	HueForge_zh-CN_username.ts
Chinese (Traditional)	zh-TW	HueForge_zh-TW_username.ts
Korean	ko	HueForge_ko_username.ts
Russian	ru	HueForge_ru_username.ts
Portuguese	pt	HueForge_pt_username.ts
Italian	it	HueForge_it_username.ts

Support and Questions

• Issues: Use GitHub Issues for bug reports or feature requests
• Discussions: Use GitHub Discussions for general questions
• Documentation: Refer to the Qt Linguist Manual

License

Translation files in this repository are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).

What this means:

✅ You can:

• Use translations in any application (including commercial software like HueForge)
• Modify and improve translations
• Share translations with others
• Use translations for business/internal purposes

❌ You cannot:

• Sell translation files or charge money for providing them
• Create commercial translation services based on these files
• Use translations in ways that primarily generate revenue from the translations themselves

Attribution Required

When using these translations, please provide appropriate credit to the HueForge translation community.

Commercial Use Note

HueForge has separate rights to use these translations commercially. Other software projects may also incorporate these translations following the CC BY-NC-SA terms.

Full License: See LICENSE file or visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

---

Happy translating! Your contributions help make HueForge accessible to users worldwide. 🌍