Home / ubuntu / Questions / 142012
In Process
David Planella
Asked: 2012-05-26 01:40:38 +0800 CST

How to use gettext to make QML files translatable

  • 772

I'd like to write a QtQuick app based on Python (PySide) and QML.

I know Qt apps have got their own translation technology, but I would like to stick to gettext for this one. I'd like to know if it's possible to:

  • Mark strings for translation in QML files in a way gettext tools can extract them into a .pot file
  • Have gettext translate QML files at runtime.

I know this is done in the Unity 2D code, in C++, so I'm wondering how it can be done with Python.

Note: I'm talking about using exclusively gettext at runtime, not about converting between gettext and Qt Linguist formats.

application-development

2 Answers

  1. Generally speaking there is no way to use gettext translation in QT because the library uses an internal translation mechanism (Qtranslate and .ts files) as stated here QTBUG-2404.

    However, there is a viable alternative.

    Shipping with QT there is a toolkit called lconvert that can be used to convert .ts files to .po and vice versa.

    So you can extract all of your translation with:

    lupdate

    Then use lconvert to obtain a po file:

    lconvert -of po -o file.po file.ts

    After translation you can convert back the po file to ts:

    lconvert -of ts -o file.ts file.po

    Then you can use it in your software.

    lupdate can bu used both for QT an QtQuick.

    • 6

  2. You can hack the lupdate's source use something you like to substitute qsTr. (is easyly) and then use you hacked lupdate + lconvert + you custome libintl to achieve use gettext objective.

    • 0