The following is a general guide to the localization process in this project. The steps are ordered through numbers. 

 

If you are using Windows Vista or any distro of GNU/Linux, Pashto is already there in the language list. You just have to add it from your operating system's language settings and you can write Pashto wherever you want.

If you are using Windows XP, you will have to download a hotfix from Microsoft website (WindowsXP-KB897338-v2-x86-ENU.exe) to be able to write Pashto.

 

You can download the hotfix here. 

 

Just download the above file and install it. When the installation is over, it will ask you to reboot your system. After the the system is rebooted and you login back, go to Control Panel's regional and language options and simply add Pashto as an input language like any other language.

You can join our discussion group here: http://groups.google.com/group/pathanisation

It is very important to join the group. It will keep you updated on what is going in the project and will help avoid repeated translation of the same package. You can also post any problem you are facing regarding the translation.

The administrator will assign you a module for translation or if you wish you can choose it yourself, but you have to inform the group of its translation. That way we can avoid repeated translation of the same module.

We are currently working on translating GNOME, so you will most probably be assigned to translate a module in GNOME.

After you have gotten your file to be translated, you have to install a .po editor and do your translation work. Most of us use PoEdit as the .po editor. You can use whichever editor you prefer.

 

Once you get the editor, rename your assigned file from xx.pot to xx.po and open it with your .po editor. Now, you are ready to do the translation work!

 

Be careful to use only the standard terms' glossary. You can get the glossary from our Google group's file section. This glossary is developed by ACSA and is also used for the Pashto translation of Microsoft products (Windows XP, Office 2003, etc.).

 

Translation Assistant is a software developed for the same glossary. Using the Translation Assistant will help you look terms easily. You should either get the glossary available in our Google group's file section as an Excel document or install Translation Assistant. You can find more info on the Translation Assistant at its page in the "Projects" menu option.

 

We all use this glossary for the translation work and your translation must be based on this glossary only.

Once you have completed translating the strings in the .po file, send it back to the administrator or our Google group through email.

The administrator will review your translated file and fix any error and your file will be commited to the GNOME (or whatever the project is) server.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask in the discussion group.