Translations Updater

Translations Updater

This Skill keeps JournalOS translation files consistent and complete. It regenerates locale keys using the project command and then fixes missing, empty, or invalid entries inside lang/*.json files.

When to use this Skill

Use this Skill when:

• New UI text or translation keys were introduced
• Modules, pages, or components added new strings
• Translation JSON files contain empty or missing values
• Locale files are out of sync with the codebase

Instructions

Step 1: Regenerate locale files

1. Run the locale generation command:

   composer journalos:locale
   

2. Confirm the command completes successfully before making any edits.

Step 2: Scan for missing or incomplete translations

1. Review all translation files:

   • lang/*.json

2. Identify any entries that are:

   • Missing keys (present in one locale but absent in another)
   • Empty strings (e.g. "some.key": "")
   • Whitespace-only values
   • Null values
   • Invalid JSON

Step 3: Fix translations

Apply the following rules:

1. Do not remove translation keys unless they are confirmed unused.

2. For missing keys:

   • Add the key to the relevant locale file(s).

3. For empty or invalid values:

   • Replace them with an appropriate human-readable translation.

4. Ensure consistency:

   • Same meaning across languages
   • Same tense and tone
   • Same terminology as used elsewhere in the app

5. Preserve formatting and placeholders exactly:

   • Do not modify tokens such as :name, :count, {value}
   • Do not alter embedded HTML or Markdown

Step 4: Validate JSON correctness

Ensure all lang/*.json files:

• Are valid JSON
• Use consistent indentation
• Contain no duplicate keys

Step 5: Quality checks

1. Confirm there are no:

   • Empty strings
   • Null values
   • Placeholder values like TODO

2. If a translation is uncertain, prefer literal and conservative wording.

3. Maintain existing key order unless the project explicitly requires sorting.

Step 6: Run tests

1. Run the test suite:

   composer test
   

2. Resolve any failures related to translations or locale loading.

Best practices

• Never rename translation keys without corresponding code changes
• Never translate or alter placeholders
• Favor consistency over stylistic variation
• Avoid informal language unless the UI already uses it

Validation checklist

• composer journalos:locale executed successfully
• All lang/*.json files are valid JSON
• No missing keys remain
• No empty or null translation values remain
• Placeholders are preserved exactly
• All tests pass

Output expectation

All translation files in lang/*.json are regenerated, complete, valid, and contain no missing or empty translations.

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