# Adding or Improving a KillerShell Translation

The translatable strings live in `Strings/` - one XAML `ResourceDictionary` per language.

## File format

Each language is a single XAML `ResourceDictionary` in the `Strings/` folder, named with the BCP 47 tag:

- `Strings/en-US.xaml` - English (US) - the base; every other file layers over it
- `Strings/bn.xaml` - Bengali
- `Strings/cs-CZ.xaml` - Czech
- `Strings/de-DE.xaml` - German
- `Strings/es.xaml` - Spanish
- `Strings/fr-FR.xaml` - French
- `Strings/ja-JP.xaml` - Japanese
- `Strings/pl-PL.xaml` - Polish
- `Strings/tr-TR.xaml` - Turkish
- `Strings/zh-CN.xaml` - Simplified Chinese
- `Strings/zh-TW.xaml` - Traditional Chinese

## How to contribute

### Improving an existing translation

1. Open the file for your language and edit the text **between** the `<sys:String>` tags.
2. **Never change the `x:Key` values** - the app looks strings up by key at runtime.
3. Open a pull request.

### Adding a new language

1. Copy `Strings/en-US.xaml`, rename it to your BCP 47 tag, translate the values.
2. You don't have to translate every key - any key you leave out falls back to English, so a partial file is fine.
3. A new language also needs the maintainer to wire it in (the `Locale` enum + loader in `Services/LocaleManager.cs` and the language menu), so note that in your PR.

## Rules

- **Never change `x:Key` values.**
- **Keep acronyms and proper names as-is:** CSV, HTML, PowerShell, KillerPivot, KillerScripts, Killer Tools.
- **Don't translate file-system field names that are matched or sorted in code** (column headers like Name/Size/Modified are fine to translate - they're display-only; the underlying field logic doesn't depend on the label).
- **Keep any `{0}` / `{1}` format placeholders** intact and in a sensible order for your language.
- **Keep XML entities** (`&amp;`, `&#xNNNN;`) as they are.
- **Use plain hyphens (`-`),** not em or en dashes, unless your language's typography requires otherwise.
- The file must be valid XML - paste it into any XML validator to check.

## Notes

- Missing keys always fall back to `Strings/en-US.xaml`, so you never have to keep a file fully in sync.
- The Chinese and Bengali files are a machine-assisted first pass - native corrections are very welcome.

## Questions

Open a GitHub issue or comment on your pull request.