Revision as of 13:47, 6 September 2020

This article is part of the official OSCAR software project. (OSCAR Help)

Working with test/beta versions

OSCAR-beta-xx is a test version, so it will install in a separate location (on Windows, that's c:\program files\Oscar-test). This allows you to have both the older production and the newer test version installed at the same time. Each will also save their data in separate directories (aka folders). Release versions in OSCAR_Data and test/beta versions in OSCAR_Data-test, both by default in your Documents directory.

You can install any new version on top of a previous without any problems. Uninstalling a previous version is not required on Windows, nor in macOS. I don't know whether that is true for all LINUX platforms. Uninstalling OSCAR does not affect any data files, registry entries, preferences, or anything you have created. It only removes the executable components.

All versions of OSCAR remember where the data directory is. In Windows, this information is stored in the Registry.

At startup, the beta version will offer to create a new, separate data directory: OSCAR_Data-test. If you accept that directory name, OSCAR will ask if you want to migrate SleepyHead data. Here, you can choose to migrate (copy!) data from any older OSCAR version instead. This migration preserves journal notes and bookmarks. This is not the case when you import data from the backup directory in another profile... OSCAR is programmed with the use of the tools from Qt [1]. When someone wants to help this project by adding a translation, use can be made of another Qt program: Qt Linguist. This wiki is a step-up for the beginner. A comprehensive guide can be found here: [2].

Qt Linguist

Qt provides excellent support for translating Qt C++ and Qt Quick applications into local languages. Release managers, translators, and developers can use Qt tools to accomplish their tasks. Translators can use the Qt Linguist tool to translate text in applications. No computer knowledge beyond the ability to start a program and use a text editor or word processor is required. In the case of OSCAR, a template is built for each language and provided to the translator, who opens the translation files using Qt Linguist, enters the translations and saves the results back into the translation files, which is passed back to the release manager. The release manager then generates fast compact versions of these translation files ready for use by the application. Thus giving more people native access to the results of their therapy.

The tool is designed to be used in repeated cycles as applications change and evolve, preserving existing translations and making it easy to identify which new translations are required. Qt Linguist also provides a phrase book facility to help ensure consistent translations across multiple applications and projects. Translators and developers must address a number of issues because of the subtleties and complexities of human language:

• A single phrase may need to be translated into several different forms depending on context. For example, open in English might become öffnen, (= open file), or aufbauen, (= open internet connection), in German.
• Keyboard accelerators may need to be changed but without introducing conflicts. For example, "&Quit" in English becomes "Avslutt" in Norwegian which does not contain a "Q". We cannot use a letter that is already in use - unless we change several accelerators.
• Phrases that contain variables, for example, "The 25 files selected will take 63 seconds to process", where the two numbers are inserted programmatically at run-time may need to be reworded because in a different language the word order and therefore the placement of the variables may have to change.

The Qt translation tools provide clear and simple solutions to these issues.

Setting up QtLinguist

Qt Linguist is a compact standalone download as Windows Installer or OSX disk image.You can find the latest version here: [3]. The latest version 4.6.0 dates from end of 2009. After installing and starting the program one can just open the provided language template (like: Svenska.se.ts). The window then shows:

In the left panel (under Context) you see the subjects of the program, next to that the items (Strings) that can be translated. Below this is the place to do the translation. What misses, is the window on the right (Sources and Forms), where an editor could see the context of the item in the program. This only works if the raw program has been downloaded. For translators without knowledge of programming and 'git', it is easier to open the program OSCAR and look for the context in the program itself.

The buttons on the top explain themselves, just use the arrow with the red question mark (Next unfinished item) to go the the next .... Well, you understand... ;) Further there are interesting aids:

• Phrases and guesses will be filled in due course while translating similar items. It helps very much in making translations consistent, i.e. use the same word again for an expression.
• Under Warnings one will see a remark when the program thinks that something goes wrong. That can be a help too.

Tips and tricks

During the use of Qt Linguist, one could find a number of things to remember. Here follows a list:

• step through the items one by one (Next unfinished item) and when all is done, go through them again and accept them (green checkmark and arrow): Only after having seen the whole list, one can decide on consistency of the used words.
• mind the keyboard accelerators (with the &). Only when all items have passed, one can know which letters can be used as unique accelerators.

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