Producing Translations

This page contains information for anyone interested in translating NetSurf into other languages.

Last updated 17 June 2006

Getting started

Translations of NetSurf into other languages are very welcome. Currently we have the reference version in English and translations into Dutch, French and German.

Mailing list

Translators are encouraged to join the developer's mailing list. Please join the mailing list if you would like to translate NetSurf into a new language or help with an existing translation.

The mailing list is for any discussion related to development or translation of NetSurf and will be used to indicate any changes that have been made to NetSurf's interface, web site or documentation.

Obtaining files

There are two types of files that can be translated; those that are part of the web site and those that are part of the NetSurf application.

The documentation is part of the web site and it is copied into the NetSurf application by the autobuilder. The autobuilder automatically makes a few changes to links in the documentation, to ensure they work off line. It is important that it is the web site version of the documentation is translated.

The simplest way to get the latest files is to use Git, as follows:

$ git clone git://git.netsurf-browser.org/netsurf.git
$ git clone git://git.netsurf-browser.org/netsurf-website.git

The important files are

"??" is a two letter country code, such as "de" (Germany) or "fr" (France)

Alternatively, the three files from !NetSurf can be taken from the latest build and any documentation or web material can be found on the web site. Do not be put off by the amount of files that can be translated. A translation of just NetSurf's interface is much better than no translation at all!

Please translate from the English version as this will always be most up to date.

Requirements

No programming knowledge is required, just the ability to use a template editor (for example WinEd) and a text editor capable of editing UTF-8 encoded files (for example Zap).

NetSurf's Messages files are UTF-8 encoded. In Zap 1.47 Beta, to select UTF-8 mode, click menu over the window and select:

Edit > Encoding > UTF8

File submission

Please send any translated files to the development mailing list.