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 until after 2.0.0 is released.
- If you think a new feature is desperately needed right now, ask on the gnucash-devel mailing list and be sure to state that the feature requires a violation of the string freeze. If there is no objection from the other developers and the translation manager (User:cstim, Christian Stimming), an exception to the string freeze might be allowed, but it is highly unlikely that this will happen.
- String Freeze violations that haven't been asked for on gnucash-devel will be reverted. Period.
- The *only* exception to the above rules is if an existing string is just plain wrong and/or is completely misleading. In any other case, including typos, the strings must remain unchanged and any string changes must be postponed until after 2.0.0.
Comments? Questions? --Cstim 11:26, 16 March 2006 (EST)
