Could you explain with several examples what you mean by "localizable
but not translatable items"?

I talked to Ken via mail. But my explanation was not good. Sorry for
making confusion. It's just an idea. So any comments are welcome.
As an assumption, I thought that someone may wants to try to translate
netBeans for their native language without build.
If someone translate netBeans core module without build, he needs:
	- extract core.jar
	- pick up Bundle.properties, and others
	  He can also refer core/l10.list to pick up localizable files
	- create core_<locale>.jar and copy it to lib/locale.
If we have coreXX.jar which includes ONLY localizable files of core
module. What he needs are:
	- extract coreXX.jar
	- translate all extracted files (He doesn't have to pick up)
	- create coreXX_<locale>.jar and copy it in lib/locale.

However, he can also localize as follows:
	- download all source files of core module
	- check l10n.list and create translated file
	- run build.xml, then he will have core_<locale>.jar
	  He may need to modify build.xml.

I'm not sure how many users want to try to translate netBeans without
build. But if we have some users who want to translate (and they don't
want to know how to build netBeans). I think the above coreXX.jar is
helpful to translate. And when translator wants to feedback their
translation to netbeans.org, he can send them to us.
What do you think?

Tech note: you can actually make a minor change to build scripts to
have them generate lib/locale/core.jar (e.g.) by adding a <localekit>
element to <locjar>. This JAR has all the localized resources instead
of lib/core.jar, and can be translated directly as you say.

Anyway, I have not heard of anyone interested in doing a translation
in the way you describe, though it would be plausible. The two
existing donated translations, Russian and French, both use a
different system from any of the ones you describe. It is based on
finding localized resources in sources, and translating them to a
separate source area. This seems to be more convenient than dealing
with prebuilt JARs, because you have access to CVS and don't really
need cooperation from NetBeans buildmasters. This effort is underway
at http://translatedfiles.netbeans.org/ so please look at what they
are already doing.

I would suggest taking the suggestion to nbdev@netbeans.org since
there is not consensus on what to do, or whether the proposed change
would be helpful.

Thank you!!
I didn't know we have French and Russian translated files. I will look
at the pointed project. Since Japanese translated files are used for
Sun One Studio release, it may be difficult to be merged into that
project. But I'm guessing we may be able to find a way for all three
languages and others.

OK, Keiichi Oono,
I think it's a lot of work for developers of all the 
modules to divide .properties & etc. from source files.

Here at translatedfiles we use the scheme:
 - I checkout the module I want to localize, and of 
course, translatedfiles module,
 - Then I copy all the translatable files to 
translatedfiles/src_pre (using ant copy_pre on build.xml),
 - Translate some of them
 - Copy the newly translated files to src (also using ant).

All this is done using Netbeans, without any need for 
command lines, so is rather handy.

Currently translatedfiles/build.xml is set up for French & 
Russian, and only for some of the modules. If you need 
some languages/modules, let me know.

Also check out today's posting on nbdev: "NetBeans IDE 3.3.2, Japanese
Pack". Looks like someone else is interested in this stuff.

Thank you for your information Jesse, I'm very interested in 3.3.2
Japanese translation.

Thank you Maxym.
If we can add the mechanism to track/syncroize master cvs revision for
translated files, all language may be able to merged current
translation project.

The big difference of Japanese translation is only:
We (Japan team) must translate all localizable files with
synchronizing the actual master latest localizable files. I can't
choice which we translate ......

Anyway, I would like to keep discuss about it. Should I post to nbdev
as Jesse mentioned?

> If we can add the mechanism to track/syncroize 
> master cvs revision for translated files, all language
> may be able to merged current translation project.

I understand, that you must translate everything, but I 
don't quite understand what you mean by 
tracking/synchronization, so nbdev would be handy to 
discuss.

Thank you Maxym,
Please let me discuss with other Japanese members. I would like to
post in nbdev after discussion.

Keiichi

Set target milestone to TBD

Keiichi, I think we should close this RFE, because it's a 
lot of work for developers, and they better be fixing bugs.

I don't think that localize-without-build is useful.

agreed?

Thank you Maxym.
I agree with you that we don't have to implement
localize-without-build mechanism, because we have a way to localize
netbeans. And since we've started to discuss NetBeans localization in
nbdev. I think we keep discussing without this RFE.

Thank you.
Keiichi