Please post here if you wish to help translate the C&C:Online website into another language!
The translations are based on the Django framework's internationalization features. As a backend it uses GNU gettext, the de facto standard for translation of computer programs and websites.
The way gettext works is that it pulls out the original English strings from all the files and lets you translate that English string into another language. When a user selects a language other than English on the website, this original string is replaced by the translated one.
As a translator you will receive a text file of English strings that are ready to be translated. The work for the translator then involves reading the English string, possibly taking into account extra context information (e.g., that it's a page title or a label for a text field), and then translating that.
Example:
#. Translators: The title on the main page # path/to/python/file.py:123 msgid "C&C:Online - The new Command & Conquer multiplayer server" msgstr ""
So for German I'd change this to:
#. Translators: The title on the main page # path/to/python/file.py:123 msgid "C&C:Online - The new Command & Conquer multiplayer server" msgstr "C&C:Online - Der neue Command & Conquer Multiplayer Server"
Some practical issues:
DO NOT TRANSLATE msgid! Leave it in English. msgid is always the original English string and must not be changed! (this is how the system finds the string to translate)
Translate msgstr. This is where the translation needs to be entered.
It's very important to make sure that every line of a string always starts and always ends with a quote (")
If the English string includes HTML or variables, you need to include this appropriately in the translation!
Example:
# path/to/python/file.py:123 msgid "" "Your Login E-mail can be changed at the <a href=\"%(forum_url)sindex.php?" "app=core&module=usercp&tab=core&area=email\" target=\"_blank" "\">Revora Forums</a>." msgstr "" "Deine Login E-Mail-Adresse kannst du im <a href=\"%(forum_url)sindex.php?" "app=core&module=usercp&tab=core&area=email\" target=\"_blank" "\">Revora Forum</a> ändern."
Make sure the files use UTF-8 encoding (without BOM), otherwise they don't work with Django.