[Localization] The role of translators at this stage of Qt (5.4 freeze)

[lloyd konneker]

I followed the instructions at the Wiki page for Qt localization (and 
elsewhere) to clone the Qt source repository and in the branch 5.3 split 
the Qt4 translation file (into a new qt_pt.ts and into new files 
qtbase_pt.ts, etc..)

I was surprised to find that the process magically provided translated 
text for items in context 'QPlatformTheme'.  I don't understand where 
the translated texts came from (because they don't exist in that context 
in the Qt4 qt_pt.ts file) Maybe I don't need to understand, but  I 
thought that since those were new (to Qt5) that a translator would need 
to intervene to enter a translated text.

So it appears that the main role of a translator (for the splitting from 
Qt4 to Qt5) is to run linguist, review all the translations, and mark 
them finished.  I suppose the Qt project does not want to automatically 
mark them finished (when a non-empty translation text is present), that 
they want a human to review.  And that they prefer a native language 
speaker for that role (since otherwise it would be no better than 
automatically marking them finished.)   I am not a native Portuguese 
speaker, so I don't feel qualified.

Also, it appears that the translations have already been split for the 
Qt 5.4 branch, and that the 5.4 branch will enter string freeze soon.  I 
can only guess that when it does enter string freeze, there is a short 
window for a cadre of translators to review the translations and mark 
them finished (without needed to split translations from Qt4 to Qt5.)  I 
don't understand what will happen if translators fail to act in that 
window, will the splits be rolled back (leaving only the unsplit but 
stale Qt4 translations), or will the split  Qt5 translations be 
automatically (programaticaly) marked finished (despite the desire to 
not do so) ?

As for my needs, I think I can use the qtbase_pt.ts file in Qt5.4 and 
programmatically mark it finished.  For my purposes (my app uses very 
few of the strings, mainly MAC_APPLICATION_MENU and QPlatformTheme 
contexts) that would be better than continuing to use the Qt4 qt_pt.ts 
file (which leaves platform standard buttons untranslated.)