How to localize FBReader interface for your preferred language
Since version 0.8.10 FBReader supports localization of user interface. Official distribution includes localizations for 17 languages. You can find them in the respective archives:
- For versions 0.12.*/0.14.0:
- Arabic localization files for FBReader 0.12.*/0.14.0 (by Khaled Hosny)
- Chinese localization files for FBReader 0.12.*/0.14.0 (by Shucang)
- Czech localization files for FBReader 0.12.*/0.14.0 (by Lubomír Čevela)
- Dutch localization files for FBReader 0.12.*/0.14.0 (by Bosel)
- English localization files for FBReader 0.12.*/0.14.0
- Finnish localization files for FBReader 0.12.*/0.14.0 (by Marko Vertainen)
- French localization files for FBReader 0.12.*/0.14.0 (by Pierre Senellart)
- German localization files for FBReader 0.12.*/0.14.0 (by Rainer Paul)
- Hungarian localization files for FBReader 0.12.*/0.14.0 (by Sándor Gábor)
- Indonesian localization files for FBReader 0.12.*/0.14.0 (by Ketut Putu Kumajaya)
- Italian localization files for FBReader 0.12.*/0.14.0 (by Floriano Scioscia)
- Lithuanian localization files for FBReader 0.12.*/0.14.0 (by Stanislovas Zacharovas)
- Russian localization files for FBReader 0.12.*/0.14.0
- Spanish localization files for FBReader 0.12.*/0.14.0 (by Jorge Andrés Benítez)
- Swedish localization files for FBReader 0.12.*/0.14.0 (by Daniel Nylander)
- Ukrainian localization files for FBReader 0.12.*/0.14.0 (by Valentina Kanevska)
- Vietnamese localization files for FBReader 0.12.*/0.14.0 (by Phạm Văn Hùng_Firestork)
- For version 0.8.17:
- English localization files for FBReader 0.8.17
- Finnish localization files for FBReader 0.8.17 (by Marko Vertainen)
- French localization files for FBReader 0.8.17 (by Pierre Senellart)
- Indonesian localization files for FBReader 0.8.17 (by Ketut Putu Kumajaya)
- Italian localization files for FBReader 0.8.17 (by Floriano Scioscia)
- Russian localization files for FBReader 0.8.17
- Swedish localization files for FBReader 0.8.17 (by Daniel Nylander)
- Ukrainian localization files for FBReader 0.8.17 (by Valentina Kanevska)
All the file paths in the text below are for the desktop UNIX version, on other platforms these paths can be different.
In order to localize FBReader for your language, you need to translate:
Interface strings
The first thing you can change for your preferred language is the set of the strings used in dialogs, tooltips, etc. All these strings are placed in 2 files: /usr/share/zlibrary/resources/{lang}.xml and /usr/share/FBReader/resources/{lang}.xml. If you want to create, for example, German interface for FBReader, just copy en.xml to de.xml, transate all "value" values in the de.xml file and start FBReader.
FBReader help files
The second thing to be localized is the help file bundled with FBReader. Just create the file /usr/share/FBReader/help/MiniHelp.{lang}.fb2. You can use English version of this document (/usr/share/FBReader/help/MiniHelp.en.fb2) as a template. Please note that MiniHelp file is slightly different for Unix and Windows platforms.
How to start FBReader with your preferred interface language
FBReader determines interface language from the system locale settings. Alternatively you can start program from command line with '-lang {lang}' argument. E.g., 'FBReader -lang ru' forces Russian interface language.