String Freeze
The GnuCash Subversion repository goes into String freeze on March xx. See Release Schedule for the schedule context on our way to a 2.0.0 release.
Purpose
The purpose of a String Freeze is to give translators enough time to translate all the strings in the application. During the String Freeze all user-visible strings are frozen and must not change; if they do change then some part of the translation work has been in vain. The translators try hard to achieve 100% of translations so that the user will not encounter any English messages when running in a non-English locale. This will break as soon as any message is added or changed (which means it will show up untranslated). To give the translators the time necessary to achieve full translation we will have a String Freeze period between March xx and the 2.0.0 release. Every feature addition and/or change that changes or adds strings will have to wait until 2.0.0 is out.
Rules
To ensure every developer respects this String Freeze, here's what we ask every developer:
- During string freeze you must not change or add any string.
- If you have a new feature that brings a new string, postpone it for after 2.0.0 is out.
- If you think a new feature is desperately needed right now, ask on gnucash-devel, noting the string freeze violation. If there is no objection from the other developers and the translation manager (User:cstim, Christian Stimming), as an exception such string additions might be allowed even during string freeze. But this is surely the exception.
- String Freeze violations that haven't been asked for on gnucash-devel will be reverted.
- String changes, on the other hand, are not at all allowed, except if the existing string is outright wrong and/or completely misleading. In any other case, including any typos, the strings must remain unchanged and the string changes must be postponed for after 2.0.0.
Comments? Questions? --Cstim 11:26, 16 March 2006 (EST)
