42904 - Windows install has localizable resources in binary files

Status: VERIFIED FIXED

(SeaMonkey :: Installer, defect, P1)

Description

[Robert McIntosh]

Please remove localizable resources from binaries to be placed in 
text (properties) files. Currently the installer contains hard coded strings 
which need to be moved into localizable text files. The impact on L10N is 
significant and multiplies by number of languages and builds with changes to 
.exe/.dll files which contain strings that need to be localized. Also, 
strings config.ini is not leveragable from an L10N standpoint

Comment 1

[Robert McIntosh]

Putting on PDT radar

Comment 2

[rchen]

Currently in Windows installer, the UI resources are built in nsinstall.exe, 
setuprsc.dll, sdinst.dll, and config.ini. Localization teams were struggling in 
localzing them in PR1. 
We would like to request to move out the binary resources for the following 
reasons:
1. They are NOT cross platform. The same resources can't be used for different 
pltforms. 
2. Add overheads in localization process, we need to extract the resouces before 
localization and put them back after localization. Considering the number of 
languages, the cost is significant.
3. Needs special localization tools (dogtool, toolcool) for the binary 
resources. We can't use the same tool (TML, TM/2) which used for DTD or 
properties files.  We try not to use the special tools due to the lack of 
reliability and maintenance. 

Cross platform and not using the binary resources is one of the main goals in 
Netscape 6. Installer is part of Netscape 6 and should follow the same spirit. 







Hopefully we can have a change in PR2, if not, .

Comment 3

[rchen]

There is a problem in config.ini. It contains both control information and UI 
information, which creates the difficulty for localization:

1. Translators need to search for the localizable strings and don't know which 
strings should be localized. Any mistake can cause a big problem.
2. Leveraging tool cann't function well with the mix of the strings.
3. Any update in config.ini needs a localization update even there is no UI 
strings changes.

Separate the UI strings to another file will benefit localization just like DTD 
to XUL and properties to JS:-) 

Comment 4

[rchen]

Hopefully we can have a change in PR2, if not, PR3 is acceptable. Thanks.

Comment 5

[Daniel Veditz [:dveditz]]

If you were having trouble doing PR1 (for which JA shipped at the same time and 
FR and DE were only shortly behind) why did we get a major new feature request 
6 days before the slipped exception feature request cut-off, and a month after 
the original PR2 feature cut off? The time for this bug was when you found it 
localizing PR1.

As to your specific points

1. the native install wizards themselves are not cross-platform, why would you 
expect the resources to be the same on all platforms?

2. This is the way binaries were resourced in Communicator, and we were told it 
was OK when we started down this road and that your old tools would still work.

3. The installer is absolutely **NOT** part of netscape 6. If it were we could 
happily use XUL and Gecko etc to do the resourcing and we wouldn't have had to 
waste time writing three separate installers. Of course if the user already had 
Gecko etc. they wouldn't need to install would they? All the user has at this 
point is a small native binary to help them get Netscape 6. It's a classic 
bootstrap issue.

Even so we have attempted to put nearly all the text into a cross-platform 
config.ini format, with a minor remainder in platform-standard binary resources 
for which we were assured localization tools already existed.

The control information in config.ini must be mixed with the UI because the 
control information is down to the level of what packages were shipped along 
with descriptive text. If the "control" information changes you're going to 
have to adapt anyway, and you might even drop certain 3rd party plugins and 
such that aren't or can't be localized in certain languages. Or you might add a 
country-specific item. It's all interrelated. While separating the text might 
buffer you from some hypothetical control-only change the reality of the kinds 
of changes we've *actually* made has affected the UI strings every time.

Comment 6

[leger]

All, this does sound like a feature request late in the game.  bobj, what is up 
here?  You'all will need to come to a PDT mtg at 4pm Monday-Thursday for 
approval on this one.

Comment 7

[rchen]

I need to clarify that this indeed is not a late new feature request. We had 
meetings with Sean Su, Catherine Wang long before PR1 to discuss this issue. The 
impression we received was that the installer for PR1 was kind of temp and there 
would be lots of changes after PR1. Samir was working on xpinstall and the 
proposal we gave to them would be reviewed afterwards. Maybe I miss something 
but I really hope we can work out together. Thanks.

 

Comment 8

[leger]

I sent this to lyecies and bobj with cc to pdt to figure out what to do here.  
Should have resolution by 4:15pm today..if not sooner :-)

Comment 9

[leger]

Putting on [nsbeta2-] radar per mtg with lyecies.

Comment 10

[Daniel Veditz [:dveditz]]

These won't make 6.0 for sure

Comment 11

[danielmc]

Um... Demoted to P5. Any reason?

Comment 12

[msanz]

adding localizability keyword

Comment 13

[msanz]

adding nsbeta1 keyword to localizability bugs

Comment 14

[Daniel Veditz [:dveditz]]

The install team is not going to fix this for 6.5, it would take a fundamental 
rearchitecture of the native install wizards and we've got too much to do as it 
is.

We can, however, promise to make all resource changes prior to beta 1 if that 
helps, since most of the actual text that changes and needs localizing is from 
the config.ini

Comment 15

[rchen]

Surely, if you can make all resource changes prior to beta 1 and only in 
config.ini, it will help us. 

Comment 16

[Michele Carlson]

reassigning to yxia who is fixing this now. ying please comment and change
status of bug to nsbeta1.

Comment 17

[Jaime Rodriguez, Jr.]

cleaning up whiteboard and assigning M0.9.1 | P1 | Major.

Comment 18

[Ying-Lin Xia]

Attachment: a new file "installer.ini" contains installer GUI strings

Comment 19

[Ying-Lin Xia]

Attachment: 2001/05/01 patch

Comment 20

[Ying-Lin Xia]

Fixed.
ssu, please review the patch and the new file "installer.ini" above.

Comment 21

[Ying-Lin Xia]

Attachment: Modified "uninstall.ini" contains un-installer GUI strings

Comment 22

[Ying-Lin Xia]

Attachment: Patch for mozilla "uninstall.it"

Comment 23

[Ying-Lin Xia]

Attachment: Patch for ns "uninstall.it"

Comment 24

[Sean Su]

Ying, I've made some minor modifications to your patch:

1) chagned installer.ini to install.ini (filename needs to be 8.3 format).
2) I've updated the build scripts to generate and package the new install.ini 
file.
3) fixed a crasher bug that your patch exposed.

ns and moz patches coming up.

Comment 25

[Sean Su]

Attachment: updated patch (ns tree)

Comment 26

[Sean Su]

Attachment: updated patch (moz tree)

Comment 27

[Sean Su]

r=ssu for the last two patches.  I will check them in for you after sr=.  
Seeking sr= now.

Comment 28

[Daniel Veditz [:dveditz]]

r=dveditz, although I fail to see the point as localized strings still exist in 
the config.ini

Comment 29

[Scott MacGregor]

r/sr=mscott if you need it.

Comment 30

[Sean Su]

patches checked in.  marking this bug fixed!

Comment 31

[Sean Su]

trying to mark this bug fixed again.

Comment 32

[Grace Bush]

verified code fixed