Comments on: Should CLI debug output and error messages be localized in a GUI application? http://blog.peijnik.at/2009/06/02/should-cli-debug-output-and-error-messages-be-localized-in-a-gui-application/ Stephan's Free Software blog Fri, 25 Dec 2009 16:18:33 +0100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: bcx http://blog.peijnik.at/2009/06/02/should-cli-debug-output-and-error-messages-be-localized-in-a-gui-application/comment-page-1/#comment-68 bcx Thu, 04 Jun 2009 13:55:22 +0000 http://blog.peijnik.at/?p=137#comment-68 I think there are two different type of error messages. One you'd display in a nice dialog to some imaginary user (I always image my mother is reading it) and then the user would know what to do. I'd like those messages translated. The second type of error message is when something is terribly wrong. The type that gives you lots of techy details to solve a difficult problem. The one you (or medium-techy users) would copy-paste to google and get the answer they need to solve a problem. They need to be in english because of two reasons: * They probably contain technical slang, something translators might confuse for actual words that can be translated. As such a translated error message can get very confusing. The english is probably more clear * Google. You can search the entire web if the message has occurred somewhere else. Find bugreports. etc. I think there are two different type of error messages. One you’d display in a nice dialog to some imaginary user (I always image my mother is reading it) and then the user would know what to do. I’d like those messages translated.

The second type of error message is when something is terribly wrong. The type that gives you lots of techy details to solve a difficult problem. The one you (or medium-techy users) would copy-paste to google and get the answer they need to solve a problem. They need to be in english because of two reasons:

* They probably contain technical slang, something translators might confuse for actual words that can be translated. As such a translated error message can get very confusing. The english is probably more clear

* Google. You can search the entire web if the message has occurred somewhere else. Find bugreports. etc.

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