Re: cron manpage (modtime -> modification time)

Giorgos Keramidas <[email protected]> wrote:
> On 2002-03-23 23:45, Dima Dorfman wrote:
> > Giorgos Keramidas <[email protected]> wrote:
> > > Index: cron/cron.8
> > ...
> > > @@ -59,15 +59,15 @@
> > >  Additionally,
> > >  .Nm
> > > -checks each minute to see if its spool directory's modtime (or the modtime
> > > +checks each minute to see if its spool directory's modification time (orthe modification time
> > >  on
> > >  .Pa /etc/crontab )
> >
> > I think it would be appropriate to wrap the line as usual (< 80
> > characters).  The change is easy to see, so it shouldn't make life any
> > more difficult for the translators.
> 
> That's what kept me from wrapping.  I meant to ask too, but thought I could
> do it in two parts anyway.  If it's ok to wrap in the same change (as in,
> nobody objects throwing flaming torches at the two of us), I'll wrap and
> make the change later tonight :)

Well, you're a translator, so you should know better than me :-).  I
think what people typically object to is justifying paragraphs after
minor wording changes.  Specifically, you shouldn't add words to a
line that did *not* change to justify a paragraph; I think it's okay
to break the line you're changing into two as long as it's clear what
the change is.

Perhaps an example is in order to demonstrate what I mean.  I'll use
DocBook since it has more paragraphs that really look like paragraphs,
but this applies to manual pages, too.

This kind of change, where I break the modified line into two, is
okay:

%
@@ -12,7 +12,8 @@
 
     <para>FreeBSD uses XFree86 to provide users with a powerful
       graphical user interface.  XFree86 is a open-source
-      implementation of the X Window System.  This chapter
+      implementation of the X Window System (*not* called X Window*s).
+      This chapter
       will cover installation and configuration of XFree86 on a
       FreeBSD system.  For more information on XFree86 and
       video hardware that it supports, check the <ulink
%

It's pretty easy to see what's going on here.  This is not normal
DocBook style, but it *would* be normal mdoc style.  What people
normally object to is integrating the "This chapter" part into the
next line, like so:

%
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@
 
     <para>FreeBSD uses XFree86 to provide users with a powerful
       graphical user interface.  XFree86 is a open-source
-      implementation of the X Window System.  This chapter
-      will cover installation and configuration of XFree86 on a
+      implementation of the X Window System (*not* called X Window*s).
+      This chapter will cover installation and configuration of XFree86 on a
       FreeBSD system.  For more information on XFree86 and
       video hardware that it supports, check the <ulink
       url="http://www.XFree86.org/">XFree86</ulink> web site.</para>
%

This looks like I changed something after "will cover", but I didn't.


Disclaimer: I'm not a translator.  The above is based mostly on
previous experiences, my own experiences with trying to figure out
what changed (e.g., if I'm not sure that the change was right), and
logic.  I also don't feel strongly about this, so if you want to do it
in two changes, one to change the wording and one to fix the style,
feel free :-).

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