# Request for string-producing developers

**URL:** <https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/request-for-string-producing-developers/4453>\
**Category:** Translations Team Discussion\
**Created:** [December 10, 2013, 8:51am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/request-for-string-producing-developers/4453 "2013-12-10T08:51:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Wuzzy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/wuzzy/32/41_2.png) [@Wuzzy](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Wuzzy)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2013, 8:51am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/request-for-string-producing-developers/4453/1 "2013-12-10T08:51:13Z")

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Hi, I have a little request for developers who create strings:  
Whenever you introduce a new string, please add a comment which describes the context of the string unless the context is either obvious or unimportant. With “context” I mean the place where the string is used.

Here is a guide to what kind of comment I am looking for, depending on the string content:

[ul][_]Onomatopoeia (“Crash!”, “Boom!”, “Bang!”): The event which makes such a sound.  
[_]Neologisms you invented yourself (“power armor”, “hauling frame” “razorbar katar”): Explain all of them unless the string in question explains it.  
[_]Neologisms someone else invented (“dark wyrm”, “jabberwock”, “boomer”): Explain all of them unless the string in question explain it. If you think it’s important, also mention the source of the word.  
[_]Terms you are unlikely to find in a dictionary: Explain them  
[_]Inside jokes: Explanation and context  
[_]String fragments, half-sentences, etc.: Context (where they are used)  
[_]Abbreviations: Write them out (better safe than sorry)  
[_]Complex format strings: Context and the meaning of all the parameters  
[_]Menu items: What happens if the menu item is used.  
[_]Strings with a “hard” length limit: The length limit.  
[\*]Everything else: Does probably not need to be commented.[/ul]

Above items also apply if the category in question is only a part of the string. Example: If you have an abbreviation inside a long string which is otherwise pretty self-explanationary, the comment for such a string should still include the meaning of the abbreviation.

Here’s an example on how to use this list: If you have a string “Boom!” and it appears when a grenade explodes, you have a string which belongs to the “onomatopoeia” category. A good comment should therefore read like “That’s the sound made by an exploding grenade.”.

[The WTF Thread](http://smf.cataclysmdda.com/index.php?topic=2644.0) has a lot of more examples for strings which badly need comments as well. I posted some examples of neologisms in [Errors in English strings](http://smf.cataclysmdda.com/index.php?topic=4403.msg72915#msg72915).

The reason why I am requesting this is simple: It would ease the life of translators a lot. 🙂

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**Author:** ![KA101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/278dde/32.png) [@KA101](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/KA101)\
**Post date:** [December 14, 2013, 2:38am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/request-for-string-producing-developers/4453/2 "2013-12-14T02:38:17Z")

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Turns out that we can add extra lines in JSON files. I’ve started using “trans\_note” where I think there’s an issue; mutations.json’s Extreme Metabolism is the first such use. Hoping these’ll help?

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**Author:** ![Wuzzy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/wuzzy/32/41_2.png) [@Wuzzy](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Wuzzy)\
**Post date:** [December 15, 2013, 8:20pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/request-for-string-producing-developers/4453/3 "2013-12-15T20:20:21Z")

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Great, that’s a start. Thanks!