State (as administrative area) needs a context

Your patch throws errors because your context is not in the format that t() expects it to be. Here is an updated patch.

please commit

Works for me.

However, some context naming guidelines would be nice to be declared. We could use similar context as field module does:

For example:

• addressfield:plugin:country
• addressfield:plugin:administrative_area
• addressfield:plugin:locality
• etc.

Curious... I thought I updated this issue earlier when I made the commit. I guess it didn't save... in any event, I added a simple "addressfield" context, as I think when I read the documentation that the context should function more like a general taxonomy term for a realm of strings than a description of the string in question - I think we got this wrong in Commerce itself. C'est la vie.

Commit: http://drupalcode.org/project/addressfield.git/commitdiff/1ac0256fb924ef...

Sorry, but a "context" should explain the meaning of the string not a module name. Otherwise translators cannot translate it properly without looking into module code where a string is used e.g. Territory of a country.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State

Not according to http://api.drupal.org/api/drupal/includes%21bootstrap.inc/function/t/7. It simply says the string should be "The context the source string belongs to." That doesn't sound like a meaning / explanation to me, and without further documentation on the topic, I'm not inclined to be more verbose. Do you have any links to better examples / explanations?

Nonono... This is api doc not translation docs. My example is good. Core has such an example, too.

How should I know as translator ***what*** You mean with this context. This is not the way how this need to be written. Looking for the doc link. May take some time. Keep in mind translators may not use your module. They only see the string, nothing else!

found it http://drupal.org/node/1369936

Alternative proposals would be most welcome. "Part of a postal address," perhaps?

This does not sounds very good to me. The context should describe what the string means and not where it's also shown. My suggestion sounds usefull and could also used by other modules as it's not module specific, too.

So you don't think seeing "State, part of a postal address" is enough to help a translator know how to translate a word? Again, we're looking to just make sure translators know how a string is used, not define the word. This context has the additional benefit of being useful for other parts of the postal address if we need to add a context to them.

The word "state" can be used in other situations like a map, too. It's not necessarilly part if an address field. The context's used in commerce packages are one of the worst examples for context usage. Don't write it this way, please.

Tell me about it. That's what I'm trying to avoid by not aiming for a definition but describing the context in which the string is used. Honestly, looking at the context list that documentation page links to, just about everyone else has simply been using their module name.

Yep, thx.

I see no need to repeat the word to be translated inside the context string

This would not help understanding the string either :-)

@aturetta The semantic context is its use in relation to being part of a postal address. That was my recommendation above, and it has nothing to do with the code. :-/

Your example makes it impossible to reuse the string in other context where it's not part of an addressfield. A State can be used in many situations and I do not like to translate it 100 times just for the reason that you write once; part of an addressfield; part of a map; blah blah blah... With my context suggestion we can use it for all of these.

How about committing my recommended fix now? Territory of a country

2 more ideas:
federated state (ok, repeating state.. but maybe more clear then next one)
federated unit (see column header here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federated_state)

Sounds not good to me. If you "explain" something you should not use the same words as it confuses the same way. Use other words.

federated unit doesn't repeat the word "state"
(and I don't think this is about "explaining" I think it is about "disambiguation")

Patch attached.

Just wondering, but is it common to update translations on update hooks (especially when changing context)?

#22 patch would cause an existing translation to get thrown away.

No. Post release you need to translate on l.d.o and reimport translations e.g with l10n_update.

Yes, an invalid translation reverts to english. This is as designed.

Honestly, I'm not sure it's worth breaking existing translations to update this, but so the context might be used by other modules, I'll make the change now - better in a beta than a final release. hass, any chance you can convince other relevant modules to use the same translation context string?

Commit: http://drupalcode.org/project/addressfield.git/commitdiff/cbaab93

I will try to identify them :-). Thx.