Checks and fixups

Custom automatic fixups

You can also implement your own automatic fixup in addition to the standard ones and include them in AUTOFIX_LIST.

The automatic fixes are powerful, but can also cause damage; be careful when writing one.

For example, the following automatic fixup would replace every occurrence of the string foo in a translation with bar:

# Copyright © Michal Čihař <michal@weblate.org>
#
# SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later

from django.utils.translation import gettext_lazy

from weblate.trans.autofixes.base import AutoFix


class ReplaceFooWithBar(AutoFix):
    """Replace foo with bar."""

    name = gettext_lazy("Foobar")

    def fix_single_target(self, target, source, unit):
        if "foo" in target:
            return target.replace("foo", "bar"), True
        return target, False

To install custom checks, provide a fully-qualified path to the Python class in the AUTOFIX_LIST, see Custom quality checks, add-ons and auto-fixes.

Customizing behavior using flags

You can fine-tune Weblate’s behavior by using flags. The flags provide visual feedback to the translators and help them to improve their translation. The flags are merged from following sources:

The flags are comma-separated; if they have parameters, they are separated with colon. You can use quotes to include whitespaces or special characters in the string. For example:

placeholders:"special:value":"other value", regex:.*

Both single and double quotes are accepted, special characters are being escaped using backslash:

placeholders:"quoted \"string\"":'single \'quoted\''
placeholders:r"^#*"

To verify that translators do not change the heading of a Markdown document: A failing check will be triggered if the string ‘### Index’ is translated as ‘# Indice’

placeholders:r"\]\([^h].*?\)"

To ensure that internal links are not being translated (i.e. [test](../checks) does not become [test](../chequeos).

Here is a list of flags currently accepted:

rst-text

Treat a text as an reStructuredText document, affects Unchanged translation.

dos-eol

Uses DOS end-of-line markers instead of Unix ones (\r\n instead of \n).

read-only

The string is read-only and should not be edited in Weblate, see Read-only strings.

terminology

Used in Glossary. Copies the string into all glossary languages so it can be used consistently in all translations. Also useful in combination with read-only, for example in product names.

priority:N

Priority of the string. Higher priority strings are presented first for translation. The default priority is 100, the higher priority a string has, the earlier it is offered for translation.

max-length:N

Limit the maximal length for a string to N characters, see Maximum length of translation.

xml-text

Treat text as XML document, affects XML syntax and XML markup.

font-family:NAME

Define font-family for rendering checks, see Managing fonts.

font-weight:WEIGHT

Define font-weight for rendering checks, see Managing fonts.

font-size:SIZE

Define font-size for rendering checks, see Managing fonts.

font-spacing:SPACING

Define letter spacing for rendering checks, see Managing fonts.

icu-flags:FLAGS

Define flags for customizing the behavior of the ICU MessageFormat quality check.

icu-tag-prefix:PREFIX

Set a required prefix for XML tags for the ICU MessageFormat quality check.

placeholders:NAME:NAME2:...

Placeholder strings expected in translation, see Placeholders.

replacements:FROM:TO:FROM2:TO2...

Replacements to perform when checking resulting text parameters (for example in Maximum size of translation or Maximum length of translation). The typical use case for this is to expand placeables to ensure that the text fits even with long values, for example: replacements:%s:"John Doe".

variants:SOURCE

Mark this string as a variant of string with matching source. See String variants.

regex:REGEX

Regular expression to match translation, see Regular expression.

forbidden

Indicates forbidden translation in a glossary, see Forbidden translations.

strict-same

Make “Unchanged translation” avoid using built-in words blacklist, see Unchanged translation.

strict-format

Make format checks enforce using format even for plural forms with a single value, see Formatted strings.

check-glossary

Enable the Does not follow glossary quality check.

angularjs-format

Enable the AngularJS interpolation string quality check.

c-format

Enable the C format quality check.

c-sharp-format

Enable the C# format quality check.

es-format

Enable the ECMAScript template literals quality check.

i18next-interpolation

Enable the i18next interpolation quality check.

icu-message-format

Enable the ICU MessageFormat quality check.

java-printf-format

Enable the Java format quality check.

java-format

Enable the Java MessageFormat quality check.

javascript-format

Enable the JavaScript format quality check.

lua-format

Enable the Lua format quality check.

object-pascal-format

Enable the Object Pascal format quality check.

percent-placeholders

Enable the Percent placeholders quality check.

perl-brace-format

Enable the Perl brace format quality check.

perl-format

Enable the Perl format quality check.

php-format

Enable the PHP format quality check.

python-brace-format

Enable the Python brace format quality check.

python-format

Enable the Python format quality check.

qt-format

Enable the Qt format quality check.

qt-plural-format

Enable the Qt plural format quality check.

ruby-format

Enable the Ruby format quality check.

scheme-format

Enable the Scheme format quality check.

vue-format

Enable the Vue I18n formatting quality check.

md-text

Treat text as a Markdown document, and provide Markdown syntax highlighting on the translation text area. Enables Markdown links, Markdown references, and Markdown syntax quality checks.

case-insensitive

Adjust checks behavior to be case-insensitive. Currently affects only Placeholders quality check.

safe-html

Enable the Unsafe HTML quality check.

url

The string should consist of only a URL. Enable the URL quality check.

ignore-all-checks

Ignore all quality checks.

ignore-bbcode

Skip the BBCode markup quality check.

ignore-duplicate

Skip the Consecutive duplicated words quality check.

ignore-check-glossary

Skip the Does not follow glossary quality check.

ignore-double-space

Skip the Double space quality check.

ignore-angularjs-format

Skip the AngularJS interpolation string quality check.

ignore-c-format

Skip the C format quality check.

ignore-c-sharp-format

Skip the C# format quality check.

ignore-es-format

Skip the ECMAScript template literals quality check.

ignore-i18next-interpolation

Skip the i18next interpolation quality check.

ignore-icu-message-format

Skip the ICU MessageFormat quality check.

ignore-java-printf-format

Skip the Java format quality check.

ignore-java-format

Skip the Java MessageFormat quality check.

ignore-javascript-format

Skip the JavaScript format quality check.

ignore-lua-format

Skip the Lua format quality check.

ignore-object-pascal-format

Skip the Object Pascal format quality check.

ignore-percent-placeholders

Skip the Percent placeholders quality check.

ignore-perl-brace-format

Skip the Perl brace format quality check.

ignore-perl-format

Skip the Perl format quality check.

ignore-php-format

Skip the PHP format quality check.

ignore-python-brace-format

Skip the Python brace format quality check.

ignore-python-format

Skip the Python format quality check.

ignore-qt-format

Skip the Qt format quality check.

ignore-qt-plural-format

Skip the Qt plural format quality check.

ignore-ruby-format

Skip the Ruby format quality check.

ignore-scheme-format

Skip the Scheme format quality check.

ignore-vue-format

Skip the Vue I18n formatting quality check.

ignore-translated

Skip the Has been translated quality check.

ignore-inconsistent

Skip the Inconsistent quality check.

ignore-kashida

Skip the Kashida letter used quality check.

ignore-md-link

Skip the Markdown links quality check.

ignore-md-reflink

Skip the Markdown references quality check.

ignore-md-syntax

Skip the Markdown syntax quality check.

ignore-max-length

Skip the Maximum length of translation quality check.

ignore-max-size

Skip the Maximum size of translation quality check.

ignore-escaped-newline

Skip the Mismatched \n quality check.

ignore-end-colon

Skip the Mismatched colon quality check.

ignore-end-ellipsis

Skip the Mismatched ellipsis quality check.

ignore-end-exclamation

Skip the Mismatched exclamation mark quality check.

ignore-end-stop

Skip the Mismatched full stop quality check.

ignore-end-question

Skip the Mismatched question mark quality check.

ignore-end-semicolon

Skip the Mismatched semicolon quality check.

ignore-newline-count

Skip the Mismatching line breaks quality check.

ignore-plurals

Skip the Missing plurals quality check.

ignore-placeholders

Skip the Placeholders quality check.

ignore-punctuation-spacing

Skip the Punctuation spacing quality check.

ignore-regex

Skip the Regular expression quality check.

ignore-reused

Skip the Reused translation quality check.

ignore-same-plurals

Skip the Same plurals quality check.

ignore-begin-newline

Skip the Starting newline quality check.

ignore-begin-space

Skip the Starting spaces quality check.

ignore-end-newline

Skip the Trailing newline quality check.

ignore-end-space

Skip the Trailing space quality check.

ignore-same

Skip the Unchanged translation quality check.

ignore-safe-html

Skip the Unsafe HTML quality check.

ignore-url

Skip the URL quality check.

ignore-xml-tags

Skip the XML markup quality check.

ignore-xml-invalid

Skip the XML syntax quality check.

ignore-zero-width-space

Skip the Zero-width space quality check.

ignore-ellipsis

Skip the Ellipsis quality check.

ignore-icu-message-format-syntax

Skip the ICU MessageFormat syntax quality check.

ignore-long-untranslated

Skip the Long untranslated quality check.

ignore-multiple-failures

Skip the Multiple failing checks quality check.

ignore-unnamed-format

Skip the Multiple unnamed variables quality check.

ignore-optional-plural

Skip the Unpluralised quality check.

Note

Generally the rule is named ignore-* for any check, using its identifier, so you can use this even for your custom checks.

These flags are understood both in Component configuration settings, per source string settings and in the translation file itself (for example in GNU gettext).

Enforcing checks

You can configure a list of checks which can not be ignored by setting Enforced checks in Component configuration. Each listed check can not be dismissed in the user interface and any string failing this check is marked as Needs editing (see Translation states).

Note

Turning on check enforcing doesn’t enable it automatically. The check can be turned on by adding the corresponding flag to string or component flags.

Managing fonts

Hint

Fonts uploaded into Weblate are used purely for purposes of the Maximum size of translation check, they do not have an effect in Weblate user interface.

The Maximum size of translation check used to calculate dimensions of the rendered text needs font to be loaded into Weblate and selected using a translation flag (see Customizing behavior using flags).

Weblate font management tool in Fonts under the Manage menu of your translation project provides interface to upload and manage fonts. TrueType or OpenType fonts can be uploaded, set up font-groups and use those in the check.

The font-groups allow you to define different fonts for different languages, which is typically needed for non-latin languages:

../_images/font-group-edit.webp

The font-groups are identified by name, which can not contain whitespace or special characters, so that it can be easily used in the check definition:

../_images/font-group-list.webp

Font-family and style is automatically recognized after uploading them:

../_images/font-edit.webp

You can have a number of fonts loaded into Weblate:

../_images/font-list.webp

To use the fonts for checking the string length, pass it the appropriate flags (see Customizing behavior using flags). You will probably need the following ones:

max-size:500 / max-size:300:5

Defines maximal width in pixels and, optionally, the maximum number of lines (word wrapping is applied).

font-family:ubuntu

Defines font group to use by specifying its identifier.

font-size:22

Defines font size in pixels.

Writing own checks

A wide range of quality checks are built-in, (see Quality checks), though they might not cover everything you want to check. The list of performed checks can be adjusted using CHECK_LIST, and you can also add custom checks.

  1. Subclass the weblate.checks.Check

  2. Set a few attributes.

  3. Implement either the check (if you want to deal with plurals in your code) or the check_single method (which does it for you).

Some examples:

To install custom checks, provide a fully-qualified path to the Python class in the CHECK_LIST, see Custom quality checks, add-ons and auto-fixes.

Checking translation text does not contain “foo”

This is a pretty simple check which just checks whether the translation is missing the string “foo”.

# Copyright © Michal Čihař <michal@weblate.org>
#
# SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later

"""Simple quality check example."""

from django.utils.translation import gettext_lazy

from weblate.checks.base import TargetCheck


class FooCheck(TargetCheck):
    # Used as identifier for check, should be unique
    # Has to be shorter than 50 characters
    check_id = "foo"

    # Short name used to display failing check
    name = gettext_lazy("Foo check")

    # Description for failing check
    description = gettext_lazy("Your translation is foo")

    # Real check code
    def check_single(self, source, target, unit):
        return "foo" in target

Checking that Czech translation text plurals differ

Check using language info to verify the two plural forms in Czech language are not same.

# Copyright © Michal Čihař <michal@weblate.org>
#
# SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later

"""Quality check example for Czech plurals."""

from django.utils.translation import gettext_lazy

from weblate.checks.base import TargetCheck


class PluralCzechCheck(TargetCheck):
    # Used as identifier for check, should be unique
    # Has to be shorter than 50 characters
    check_id = "foo"

    # Short name used to display failing check
    name = gettext_lazy("Foo check")

    # Description for failing check
    description = gettext_lazy("Your translation is foo")

    # Real check code
    def check_target_unit(self, sources, targets, unit):
        if unit.translation.language.is_base(("cs",)):
            return targets[1] == targets[2]
        return False

    def check_single(self, source, target, unit) -> bool:
        """We don't check target strings here."""
        return False