[Solved] Formatting File Dates in Translations

[AXYPB]

I am currently preparing Japanese and Chinese translations for a Ren'Py game that did not originally contain translations. One of the components is the formatting of the time and date for save files in the FileTime() function, which currently uses "%b %d %Y, %H:%M". For Japanese, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese, I translated the string in FileTime() to "%Y年%m月%d日 %H:%M". According to several sources, Chinese dates are not to include leading zeroes in the month and day. How can strings be formatted in translation files to strip leading zeroes from %m and %d?

[Remix]

The %b etc parts are python datetime format codes. Have a look at the following link for info on them all

Time Formatting

Hope those give you all the info you need.

[AXYPB]

I examined the format codes first, but no codes are provided that return non-zero-padded numbers. I must strip each component number of leading zeroes individually, but in a way that does not complicate the translation process. I've considered doing so in the file screen itself, using a series of concatenated FileTime().lstrip("0") calls, but because each language orders dates differently, this will result in complex code that I wish to avoid.

[Remix]

Ah I see. Never really noticed that python didn't support non leading zero days in dates.

I think you likely have 2 options...

Either do as you theorized and strip out zeros from certain parts of the string for certain locales or just go with "%c" or "%x - %X" and hope that suffices.

[philat]

As this is a pure python question, there are usually better answers available elsewhere. https://stackoverflow.com/questions/952 ... ro-padding

You'd probably have to fiddle with the FileTime() a little to apply this (I frankly haven't looked), but since it's based on python's inner workings, I consider it a python question. Which is not to criticize OP for asking here! Just trying to be helpful, for future reference.

[AXYPB]

I've discovered a solution that involves dividing each component of the timestamp into individual strings, translating them, and using string interpolation to create timestamps appropriate for each locale. lstrip("0") is used on the month and day elements.

This code is used in screens.rpy to create multiple buttons in a file screen.

Code: Select all

        for i in range(1,8):

            hotspot (20,70 * i,370,60) action FileAction(i):
                $ file_name = FileSlotName(i,14)

                # Check if the slot queried by FileTime() returns a non-empty string.
                # Create a save file hotspot if it does, otherwise only print the slot name.
                if FileTime(i) is not "":
                    add FileScreenshot(i) xpos 5 ypos 5

                    # Each component of the timestamp is assigned to individual variables,
                    # allowing them to be reordered and have leading zeroes stripped.
                    python:
                        file_year = FileTime(i, format=_("%Y"))
                        file_month = FileTime(i, format=_("%m")).lstrip("0")
                        file_eng_month = FileTime(i, format="%b")
                        file_day = FileTime(i, format=_("%d")).lstrip("0")
                        # The hour and minute component is formatted with a leading comma and space, which allows
                        # for localizations in regions that do not use commas to separate date and time.
                        file_time = FileTime(i, format=_(", %H:%M"))
                        save_name = FileSaveName(i)

                    text _("[file_name]. [file_eng_month] [file_day] [file_year][file_time]\n[save_name!t]") style "save_title"

                    key "save_delete" action FileDelete(i)

                else:

                    text "[file_name]." style "save_title"

In the translation files, the strings are reordered to form locale-appropriate timestamps. Each format argument above is translated to add date characters in Asian languages:

Code: Select all

translate japanese strings:

    old "[file_name]. [file_eng_month] [file_day] [file_year][file_time]\n[save_name!t]"
    new "[file_name]. [file_year][file_month][file_day] [file_time]\n[save_name!t]"

    old ", %H:%M"
    new "%H:%M"

    old "%Y"
    new "%Y年"

    old "%m"
    new "%m月"

    old "%d"
    new "%d日"