Adding a translation to a new language¶

Files you need to change¶

• libretro-common/include/libretro.h
• msg_hash.h
• msg_hash.c
• Makefile.common
• intl/msg_hash_xx.c (new file)
• intl/msg_hash_xx.h (new file)
• intl/msg_hash_us.h
• menu/menu_setting.c
• griffin/griffin.c

Instructions¶

1. Open libretro-common/include/libretro.h
2. Add a RETRO_LANGUAGE_XXXXX item to the retro_language enum just above RETRO_LANGUAGE_LAST, using the next available integer value
3. Open msg_hash.h
4. Add a MENU_ENUM_LABEL_VALUE_LANG_XXXXX item to the msg_hash_enums enum
5. Add declaration of a const char *msg_hash_to_str_xx(enum msg_hash_enums msg) function
6. Add declaration of a int menu_hash_get_help_xx_enum(enum msg_hash_enums msg, char *s, size_t len) function
7. Open msg_hash.c
8. Add a
   c case RETRO_LANGUAGE_XXXXX: ret = menu_hash_get_help_xx_enum(msg, s, len); break;
   block inside the menu_hash_get_help_enum() function
9. Add a
   c case RETRO_LANGUAGE_XXXXX: ret = msg_hash_to_str_xx(msg); break;
   block inside the msg_hash_to_str() function
10. Open Makefile.common
11. Add intl/msg_hash_xx.o to OBJS
12. Copy intl/msg_hash_us.c to intl/msg_hash_xx.c
13. Decide if intl/msg_hash_xx.c should use UTF-8 + BOM encoding. See the section below
14. Open intl/msg_hash_xx.c
15. Rename the menu_hash_get_help_us_enum() function to menu_hash_get_help_xx_enum()
16. Rename the menu_hash_to_str_us_label_enum() function to menu_hash_to_str_xx_label_enum()
17. Rename the menu_hash_to_str_us() function to msg_hash_to_str_xx() and, inside that same function:
    • Replace the call to menu_hash_to_str_us_label_enum() with a call to menu_hash_to_str_xx_label_enum()
    • Replace the #include "msg_hash_us.h" line with #include "msg_hash_xx.h"
18. Open intl/msg_hash_us.h
19. Add a
    c MSG_HASH(MENU_ENUM_LABEL_VALUE_LANG_XXXXX, "Xxxxx")
    block with the name of the new language written in English
20. Copy intl/msg_hash_us.h to intl/msg_hash_xx.h
21. Decide if intl/msg_hash_xx.h should use UTF-8 + BOM encoding. See the section below
22. Open intl/msg_hash_xx.h
23. Make sure to modify the
    c MSG_HASH(MENU_ENUM_LABEL_VALUE_LANG_XXXXX, "Xxxxx")
    block to show the name of the new language written in the target language
24. Open menu/menu_setting.c
25. Add a
    c modes[RETRO_LANGUAGE_XXXXX] = msg_hash_to_str(MENU_ENUM_LABEL_VALUE_LANG_XXXXX);
    assignment to the setting_get_string_representation_uint_user_language() function
26. Open griffin/griffin.c
27. Add a #include "../intl/msg_hash_xx.c" line below the existing, similar
    ones for other languages.

Encoding of translation files¶

• Translation files (intl/msg_hash_xx.{c,h}) in general must be UTF-8 encoded

• For some languages, these files need to have a "UTF-8 Unicode (with BOM)"
  encoding, this is, UTF-8 and a
  BOM. AFAIK this is so
  because a requirement of the MSVC compilers (Windows platform). Examples of
  this as of now are:

  • msg_hash_ar.{c,h}
  • msg_hash_chs.{c,h}
  • msg_hash_cht.{c,h}
  • msg_hash_ja.{c,h}
  • msg_hash_ko.{c,h}
  • msg_hash_pl.{c,h}
  • msg_hash_ru.{c,h}
  • msg_hash_vn.h

• Be careful when creating and editing your new translation files as some text
  editors do strip the BOM without warning.

Translation¶

If you speak the target language xx then you could start translating literals in

• intl/msg_hash_xx.c
• intl/msg_hash_xx.h

by replacing the English original ones with its translations.

Example: Addition of Arabic language:¶

• Commit 45580cb
• Commit d8f1a08
• Commit 7a0428f

See also¶

• Adding a RetroArch menu option