Localization of a library

realdarkman

Hi all,

I put common functions in a dynamical linked library for my main app. The strings and forms of main app are translated and will be loaded with QTranslator::load(...) and installed with QApplication::installTranslator(...), it works. But the translated strings and forms in the lib are not used, always english only! App and lib translation loading and installing are the same:

@
QTranslator translator;
translator.load("german.qm");

QApplication::installTranslator(&translator);
@

Why are the strings and forms from lib in english only? Any hints?

Thanks!
Chris

goetz

Does german.qm really contain the translations for the library too?

realdarkman

Yes, I know, that is strange! I have test it with full path to german.qm ... all strings and forms are the english ones! I cannot explain this!

soroush

Some suggestions:

Make sure that your translation file is loaded successfully. Try:
@qDebug()<<translator.load("german.qm");@
Make sure you're loading language file before instantiating GUI elements.

giesbert

As you make the translator a local stack object, where do you call this?
When the method exits, the translator will be destroyed and uninstalled.

realdarkman

[quote author="soroush" date="1338288047"]* Make sure that your translation file is loaded successfully. Try:
@qDebug()<<translator.load("german.qm");@[/quote]

I made this already, it's always true!

[quote author="soroush" date="1338288047"]* Make sure you're loading language file before instantiating GUI elements.[/quote]

I load and install all translations in the main function before the MainWindow will initialized, but the lib has no main function!? Where can I load and install translations for the lib?

soroush

A library is a passive object. It has no entry point. So you may need to call a function of your library that installs translator, from program that uses the library.

realdarkman

Yes, I made this. In my MainApp:

@
int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
QApplication application(argc, argv);

QTranslator qtTranslator, appTranslator;
QTextCodec::setCodecForTr(QTextCodec::codecForName("utf8"));

qtTranslator.load("/home/chris/myApp/locale/qt_de.qm");
appTranslator.load("/home/chris/myApp/locale/german.qm");

application.installTranslator(&qtTranslator);
application.installTranslator(&appTranslator);

MyLib::loadTranslation();

MyApp myApp;
myApp.show();

return application.exec&#40;&#41;;

}
@

MyLib:

@
void MyLib::loadTranslation() {
QTranslator translator;
QTextCodec::setCodecForTr(QTextCodec::codecForName("utf8"));

translator.load("/home/chris/myLib/locale/german.qm");

QApplication::installTranslator(&translator);

}
@

realdarkman

All

@QTranslator::load(...)@

functions returns true and all strings/forms of MyApp are translated, but all strings/forms of MyLib are english only!

I don't know why!

soroush

Sorry I didn't noticed that... calling
@
QApplication::installTranslator(&translator);
@
inside a library makes no sense. There should be one instance of QApplication that installs all translation.

Consider Qt itself. When you load & install a translation of Qt libraries, there is no need to call any member inside libraries.

Make sure that your classes are inherited from QObject. They should also implement signal/slot mechanism (use Q_OBJECT macro).

I wrote a simple test. Works fine for me.

soroush

I should also mention that, If you're re-implementing changeEvent(QEvent *e) and you tend to use texts from library in your GUI, you will have two sources for translation. This will prevent your application from extracting text correctly.

realdarkman

The german.qm is compiled in the lib as resource. The hard coded path above was a test. How can I load german.qm from library resource to load & install the translation? Is there a way?

soroush

Hmmm
You're doing it from hard way!
Ask your library to give you binary data of her translation file (contents of .qm embedded in your library).
Create a QTranslator in your application. "Load your binary data":http://doc-snapshot.qt-project.org/4.8/qtranslator.html#load-3:
@translator.load ( const uchar * data, int len)@
Install your translator to QApplication (outside library)

realdarkman

Still a little problem: The data of german.qm from lib resource is compressed, so I need to use

@QByteArray qUncompress(const uchar *data, int nbytes)@

But how do I get a const uchar* from the QByteArray for QTranslator::load?

goetz

It should be possible to load the translation directly from the ressource:

@
QTranslator trans;
trans.load(":/path/to/resource/german.qm");
@

soroush

@
QByteArray ba;
ba = ...
unsigned char data = (unsigned char) ba.data();
@

Volker's solution is better.

giesbert

[quote author="realdarkman" date="1338289960"]MyLib:

@
void MyLib::loadTranslation() {
QTranslator translator;
QTextCodec::setCodecForTr(QTextCodec::codecForName("utf8"));

translator.load("/home/chris/myLib/locale/german.qm");

QApplication::installTranslator(&translator);

}
@
[/quote]

As written earlier, you destroy the translator object after installing it directly. This will lead to no loaded translation again. You have to create it on the heap or create it in main and give it to the function.

realdarkman

The german.qm is a ressource of MyLib, Volker's solution will not work!? Or can I access the MyLib resources from MyApp?

Is there a better (C++) method to cast the ba.data()? I want to avoid C casts!

giesbert

Volkers solution should work if you don't destroy the translator object.

realdarkman

[quote author="Gerolf" date="1338366133"]You have to create it on the heap or create it in main and give it to the function.[/quote]

Create on heap? I give the translator to loadTranslation, but it doesn't work:

[quote]/usr/include/QtCore/qtranslator.h:94: error: 'QTranslator::QTranslator(const QTranslator&)' is private[/quote]