1309341 - Language pack support for fluent in gecko

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(L20n :: General, defect)

Description

[Axel Hecht [:Pike]]

We want support for l20n in language packs.

We'll need a good place to call into L10nRegistry.registerSource, http://hg.mozilla.org/projects/larch/file/tip/toolkit/modules/L10nRegistry.jsm#l167.

Probably also need an API to undo that on addon disabling.

CCing rhelmer and Standard8 to see if they find the golden spot in the add-on install code flow where we'd want to do that. So far, we're all kinda puzzled on how this works for chrome.manifest addons.

Status quo of our build process is that our files are in the xpi, in /localizations/AB_CD and /browser/localizations/AB_CD.

There are no entries to any of the control files like install.rdf, bootstrap.js, or chrome.manifest.

We shouldn't do chrome.manifest, though, that much I know, 'cause the files we have shouldn't be available through the chrome registry.

Comment 1

[Zibi Braniecki [:zbraniecki][:gandalf]]

Context:

We're introducing a new registry for l10n resources that will avoid chrome registry. Over time we will want to deprecate our use of chrome registry for l10n.

Our registry currently is using XHR to load resource:/// files from toolkit and browser, and we have a mechanism that allows us to add new, so called, 'sources'.

Each langpack will be a source and when we need a resource, we'll want to know if that resource is available in the langpack.

So, the way I see our needs for L10nRegistry:

 - we need a way to ask Gecko from L10nRegistry at startup which langpacks are currently installed in which versions
 - we need a way for L10nRegistry to learn that a new langpack has been installed
 - we need a way for L10nRegistry to learn that a langpack has been uninstalled

Eventually:
 - we'll need a way for L10nRegistry to learn what langpacks are available in which versions
 - we'll need a way to trigger langpack download/installation

In terms of what metadata we will want to have it is:

 - languages in the langpack (there may be more than one)
 - version of each language (based on the timestamp of the commit based on which the langpack has been built)
 - path to the resources in the langpack

I'm not very familiar with how addons work, so I'm not sure how such path will look like. I know that when we look for toolkit resources we do "resource:///gre/localization/{locale}/*".

NI'ing people :pike pointed as potential sources of knowledge for us.

Comment 2

[Mark Banner (:standard8)]

I'm not at all familiar with the add-on code. If Rob can't help, then probably your best bet is Dave Townsend or Benjamin Smedberg.

Comment 3

[Robert Helmer [:rhelmer]]

(In reply to Zibi Braniecki [:gandalf][:zibi] from comment #1)
> Context:
> 
> We're introducing a new registry for l10n resources that will avoid chrome
> registry. Over time we will want to deprecate our use of chrome registry for
> l10n.
> 
> Our registry currently is using XHR to load resource:/// files from toolkit
> and browser, and we have a mechanism that allows us to add new, so called,
> 'sources'.
> 
> Each langpack will be a source and when we need a resource, we'll want to
> know if that resource is available in the langpack.
> 
> So, the way I see our needs for L10nRegistry:
> 
>  - we need a way to ask Gecko from L10nRegistry at startup which langpacks
> are currently installed in which versions
>  - we need a way for L10nRegistry to learn that a new langpack has been
> installed
>  - we need a way for L10nRegistry to learn that a langpack has been
> uninstalled
> 
> Eventually:
>  - we'll need a way for L10nRegistry to learn what langpacks are available
> in which versions
>  - we'll need a way to trigger langpack download/installation
> 
> In terms of what metadata we will want to have it is:
> 
>  - languages in the langpack (there may be more than one)
>  - version of each language (based on the timestamp of the commit based on
> which the langpack has been built)
>  - path to the resources in the langpack
> 
> I'm not very familiar with how addons work, so I'm not sure how such path
> will look like. I know that when we look for toolkit resources we do
> "resource:///gre/localization/{locale}/*".
> 
> NI'ing people :pike pointed as potential sources of knowledge for us.

Sorry for the delay responding to your needinfo - did you get the answers you need in IRC with Mossop and myself the other day?

Comment 5

[Axel Hecht [:Pike]]

(In reply to Robert Helmer [:rhelmer] from comment #3)
> Sorry for the delay responding to your needinfo - did you get the answers
> you need in IRC with Mossop and myself the other day?

Redirecting to gandalf.

Comment 6

[Zibi Braniecki [:zbraniecki][:gandalf]]

I'll have to look at it more this week before I answer.

Also, here's the design doc for how we did it for FxOS: https://github.com/stasm/spec/blob/master/webapp-langpacks.markdown

Comment 7

[Francesco Lodolo [:flod]]

Is there still work to do on this bug? Also, should it be renamed (l20n -> Fluent) to avoid confusion?

Comment 8

[Axel Hecht [:Pike]]

Yes, this is done.