Tutorial - How to localize DFU

[Daneel53]

Hello guys,

Now that the French localization of DFU is complete, it is time to explain to the community how we realized this.

I wrote a complete tutorial that explain all the files that are to be produced in order to fuly localize DFU and what tools we used in order to achieve that.
As we had to develop specific tools and procedures, I provide with the tutorial all the tools and files that you will need to do the same as we did.

You can take the tutorial and the files here in the following archive:
[... Waiting for Google Drive approval...]

French localization of DFU was a joined work done by Pango and I.
It rely on the translation of classic Daggerfall done many years ago by the Project French Daggerfall team.

I you have any remark on the content of the tutorial or need detailed explanation upon a specific point, please don't hesitate to use the present subject to contact us.

I hope that this tutorial shall be usefull to all the teams that are trying to localize DFU in the world.

[Daneel53]

I discovered this afternoon that Google says that my archive contain viruses.

I can assess that this is not the case and that it contain only safe files. If not convinced, check the archive with your antivirus before opening it. I required to Google a deeper analysis, let's hope the alert message shall be removed soon...

[Daneel53]

OK, let's try to pass the bloking of my files by Google Drive.

First, here is a link toward the tutorial PDF document only: https://bit.ly/3SWPWKc
This one should be OK for Google. Don't be afraid with the bit.ly link, this is only an indirect link toward my Google Drive that permits me to know how many times this file will be downloaded.

Then here is the link toward the files: https://bit.ly/3RgCUGl
The archive is encrypted, the password is simply DFUTutorial
It seems that now that the folder with files is encrypted, Google Drive will not claim any more that there are virus in my files.

And anyway, to have separated the tutorial PDF and the files shall permit the users to first read the tutorial and then take the files if they think they will be useful for them.

[Jagget]

Amazing tutorial! I made almost the same work when translated Daggerfall, some of it by hand

In section "4 - Shop names in towns", though, I'd say that if your language and creativity permits, you don't need C# code. You can use StoresA and ***StoresB lines from Internal_Strings.csv, as well as TavernsA and TavernsB for, apparently, taverns.

[Daneel53]

Thanks!

To simply use StoresA and StoresB (or TavernA and TavernB) cannot give a correct result from a French grammary point of vue, and it is probably the same in other languages. English is a simple language that permit this kind of thing, because for example objects have no genre, adjectives do not have to be modified following the genre, adjectives are before the names, etc. But it is not the case for more complicated languages as French, German and many others.

Ex: "The black woman" -> "La femme noire" in good French. This can't be translated correctly only by saying StoreA= noir (black) and StoreB = femme (woman), because "The StoreA StoreB" would give "Le noir femme", which is totally incorrect.

[Jagget]

Thanks!

To simply use StoresA and StoresB (or TavernA and TavernB) cannot give a correct result from a French grammary point of vue, and it is probably the same in other languages

I know, I translated it to Russian, but nonetheless, I managed to do so. In "TavernsB", for example I didn't translate everything word by word, but made all items as "male" words. For example, for "dog" we can take "собака" (female) or "пёс" (male). So then "TavernsA" can easily be translated knowing that. Maybe it's not possible in French, I'm sorry.

Other than that, yes, I understand your pain, and yeah, English is a too much simple language!

[Daneel53]

I realized this morning that I forgot to put into the Files archive the source code for the Shop names procedure.

I've just added them with a small explanation and updated the Files archive. Those interrested may take it again.

[Deepfighter]

Thanks Daneel - very comprehensive and well written guide. I put this as a sticky topic, as this can't be better summarised.

[pango]

Hi Daneel53,

In French, all adjectives are behind the name, so you can see false everywhere, but this can be different in other languages, or depend of the adjective.

Well, there's currently (only) one adjective that uses that feature, "Meilleur".

[FeMaster]

Hey guys, i'm really confused on how to translate shop and buildings names, i have download all mods but i don't know how to proceed, i need to change the order of phrases, ex: ''The black woman'' to ''a mulher negra'' but translating at the text files it appears like ''a negra mulher'', and its wrong.