SEVERAL MISSING Files for Translations !!!

**EinfachClicken** · 09-14-2008, 11:42 AM

I don't know if anyone else has voiced this before, but it's very frustrating to PAY MONEY for a script, then PAY MORE MONEY to brand the script and then ENDLESS HOURS working on translations while NEVER receiving any bonafide support from the people who sell the script .... What's up with that?

I've posted 3 valid questions during the past week. Especially as far as the translations are concerned ... how can you sell software worldwide if you're not willing to help people find the proper files for translations or help with other queries. Here's yet another example of what I mean. Tediously and painstakingly I've working myself through dozens of files AFTER having dealt with the ones in the language folder first. There are certain words that I simply CANNOT FIND in order to translate. This is the scenario ....

After signing in with a valid account, followed by clicking on FRIENDS, you get to see a summary from the friends.php file. In this view there are certain specific words such as: Pending, Lists, Family, Friends, Select Action, Add to list, and so on.

My commercial search & replace software cannot find the files where these words can be translated.
They don't show up in the corresponding templates or templates_c or in any other folders.
How and where can these files be found so that the programm can be translated properly?
If these are not standard .tpl or .php or .txt or .html or .css files, then what are they?
It is imperative that I be able to translate all of the browser visible text and not just a part of it.

It doesn't matter if a script costs 10 USD or 1000 USD, if you're making money with it from worldwide sales, then you ought to provide help in those areas where most average users on the forum cannot be of any assistance. This is pretty much "internal stuff" but it too needs to be translated. I have no problem with the work if someone can point me in the right direction. Just imagine, if I get everything translated you can use the files to sell another language version. This is beneficial to vShare also!

I would very much appreciate some response from the developers of vShare. Thank you!
Sincerely,

**bplex** · 09-14-2008, 04:56 PM

First and foremost, I am not a vShare developer. I feel, however, that your ideas are a bit misguided. What you are not understanding is that the developers are selling you a script for $10. I don't know about things where you're from, but here in the states, I can barely go to McDonald's and order a meal for $10. They are practically giving the script away. Because they are not charging very much, in the states, it is to be expected that the level of support is not going to be that of a $1,000 script.

Secondly, no one is making you use vShare. You purchased the script for very little money and, honestly, I find it to be a great script. However, if vShare doesn't provide you with what you need, there are other software out there that you could use. I will tell you, however, that among all of the software out there, vShare is going to be the cheapest one. But, if cost is not an object for you, there is software out there that you can purchase that will do the same thing vShare does but comes with a lot more support (and a lot more in cost).

Third, if you are requiring 100% translation (meaning that you absolutely want everything to be translated into your language), this is NOT going to be possible with the current version of vShare. The problem is that while the developers did try their best to make it so that you can localize the script to your language, there are certain things which are displayed from the database that are written into the database in English. Some of those can be edited (for example, if you confirm a friend, what get's written into the database is "Confirmed." This happens in plain text in the Friends.php class (located in the includes/classes directory). Other actions such as an initial friend request is written to the DB as "Pending." This happens in encoded text and cannot be changed (as the file that does this is encrypted). Even further, since some of the English text is coming from the database, changing the text will affect the actual vShare code. This is because the code is looking for a specific text to act upon. Just for an example, the "Pending" friends thing is written to the database as the word "Pending." If you notice in the "friends.tpl" file below the "Status" (or whatever that word is in your language), there is a command that states if the friend's status is "Pending" print out next to pending the date in which you invited the friend. You would break this function and functions like it if you were to change the language used in the database for that particular function.

Based on your requirements of needing 100% translation, you may want to consider searching for an alternative as I don't believe that what you are wanting to do can be accomplished to your standards (at least, it cannot be accomplished with the present state of vShare 2.6 being mostly encrypted).

**EinfachClicken** · 09-15-2008, 11:39 AM

Well, needless to say ... I don't quite agree with you.
I do agree that if you pay 25.00 USD for a script, you shouldn't be expecting too much, including extensive support. But I also believe that when you make a product available internationally as a product that can be used in countries where other languages prevail, then you have the responsibility to offer at least some menial direct support. Working on a lot of coding during the past several years, I can assure you that many items can be corrected with professional search & replace software ... because when you search for hard code that uses (example) doghouse in reference to a link in the programm with the name doghouse .... and you replace BOTH REFERENCES with the word of your choice, then this would work. Been there, done that, and know what I'm talking about. That's the whole purpose behind search & replace software, to address issues such as those.

My complaint to vShare is that I receive *ZERO* support, and not even an answer as to which files in which folder contain the information that I need to change. That it can be done is beyond question, and that only the vShare developers can provide me with those answers is also beyond question. I just want to know which files and where .... then I can take care of the rest.
But when I receive *ZERO* input, then I can only accomplish that ... NOTHING ... and that bothers me greatly.

I've used free scripts on sourceforge, good scripts for annual planners, weather services, greeting cards, etc. which are just as large and complicated as vShare, and like I said ... FREE ... and have received more support there, for such scripts. I don't know, perhaps people take more pride in their software there to be able to help with a personal touch now and then when things become too complicated. So again, my complaint is not about the level of support, but rather the fact that there appears to be no support at all of any type, not even when only the developers are the ones who could provide the answers so easily, since they're the ones who developed those files in the first place i.e. would know those files as well as I know the files that I develop for software.

**grynmoors** · 09-16-2008, 10:25 AM

It all goes back to "no body is making you use vShare".

**EinfachClicken** · 09-16-2008, 10:51 AM

It all goes back to "no body is making you use vShare".

That's absolutely right.
But how would you feel after having received mail responses telling you that translations are not an issue, only to find out days and many, many hours of work later that there are indeed some serious issues? Perhaps you enjoy being flat out lied to, but I don't. About 50 to 60 hours into the work I started posting questions because everthing before that wasn't a big deal. User forums are supposed to be helpful, or didn't you know? How helpful is that when users are running around, telling others how they don't have to use the software, pay more money, find another clip portal, blah, blah, blah. Geeeez, if someone posts a question and I don't have anything PRODUCTIVE to share in order to HELP that person, then I have the decency to say nothing at all, instead of making their issues worse by generating irrelevant meaningless posts.

No, it's not meant as an attack on you. But c'mon, think about it ....
What's the point of being here if you're not going to help?

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