NAME
rdswap - a multi-language RD documents support tool
SYNOPSIS
rdswap [ -h | -v ] filename ...
DESCRIPTION
This tool is written to support you to write multi-language documents
using the Ruby-Document-Format (RD).
The idea for such a tool was originated by Minero Aoki, how has thought
about, how to make life easier for developers who have to write and
maintain scripts in more than one language.
You have to specify at least two filenames on the command line. One
containing the Ruby script, the second containing a translated RD. If
the script does not end with ‘.rb’, it has to be the first filename
mentioned on the command line! In opposition, all files containing
translations must not ending with ‘.rb’! They should use a extension
that describes the language. So that would give us the following
picture:
· sample.rb : Script contains the original documentation.
· sample.jp : Documentation written in Japanese.
· sample.de : Translation to German.
The tool doesn’t care about the language extensions. You can name them
as you like! So the file containing the Japanese translation above,
could also be names e.g. ‘sample.japan’ or even
‘japantranslation.japan’.
For every translation file, a new file will be created. The name is
build from the script filename plus the language extension. So
regarding the example above, following files would be created:
· sample.rb.jp
· sample.rb.de
or, given the alternative translation filename as mentioned above...
· sample.rb.japan
How does it work?
The contents of all files will be split into source and RD blocks. The
source of the translation files, will be discarded! Every RD block may
be of a certain type. The type will be taken from the contents directly
following the ‘=begin’ on the same line. If there is only a lonely
‘=begin’ on a line by itself, the type of the block is ‘nil’. That
means in
# File sample.rd
:
=begin
bla bla
=end
:
=begin whatever or not
blub blub
=end
:
the first block would be of type ‘nil’ and the second one of type
‘whatever or not’.
Block types are important for the translation. If a source will be
generated from a script and a translation file, only these blocks are
taken from the translation files, that comes in the right sequence and
contains the same type as the block in the script! For example:
# File sample.rb
:
=begin gnark
Some comment
=end
:
=begin
block 2
=end
:
=begin
block 3
=end
:
# File sample.de
:
=begin
Block zwei
=end
:
=begin
Block drei
=end
:
Here, the first block of ‘sample.rb’ will *not* be translated, as there
is no translation block with that type in sample.de! So the first block
would be inserted as-it-is into the translated script. The blocks
afterwards, however, are translated as the block type does match (it is
‘nil’ there).
Attention: In a translation file, a second block will only be used, if
a first one was already used (matched). A third block will only be
used, if a second one was used already!
That means, if the first block of ‘sample.de’ would be of type e.g.
‘Never match’, then no block would ever be taken to replace anyone of
‘sample.rb’.
OPTIONS
-h shows this help text.
-v shows some more text during processing.
filename
means a file, that contains RD and/or Ruby code.
EXAMPLES
rdswap -v sample.rb sample.ja sample.de
rdswap -v sample.ja sample.rb sample.de
rdswap -v sample.ja sample.de sample.rb
rdswap -v sample.??
AUTHORS
Clemens Hintze <c.hintze@gmx.net>.
November 2009