[wp-hackers] Improving Plugin (and Theme) metadata

[Jeremy Clarke]

On Feb 8, 2008 6:43 PM, Jennifer Hodgdon <yahgrp at poplarware.com> wrote:
> Why should WP be providing tools for what is a much more general
> problem, internationalizing applications with gettext? We don't
> provide web browsers, text editors, PHP debuggers, or any of the other
> tools that developers might use.
>

Just wanted to note that in my experience using the general tools is
about as fun as things like configuring your own Linux distro, which
isnt' to say that it's not fun, but that it's not fun for everyone and
lots of people probably get stuck (i.e. me) and just avoid the whole
i18n scene. That's not WP's fault, it's just a solution built by and
for (Linux) programmers, so it doesn't necessarily fit with the skills
and desires of everyone who might otherwise contribute to wp (theme
developpers especailly).

Also, WordPress doesn't provide text editors, but they do provide a
plugin repository and a theme repository, so if people also need help
specifically with the internationalization of wp plugins and themes, I
think that wp is in a privileged position to provide that help for the
sake of the people who need the translations to be possible.

That said, it should obviously be possible to translate your plugins
and themes WITHOUT using whatever tool WP would conceivably provide,
but having it there for the noobs sounds like a very good idea (if
it's something that could be put together quickly).

Jeremy Clarke
http://simianuprising.com