# Translation for low level error messages

**URL:** <https://librepcb.discourse.group/t/translation-for-low-level-error-messages/119>\
**Category:** Uncategorized\
**Created:** [August 9, 2019, 10:27pm UTC](https://librepcb.discourse.group/t/translation-for-low-level-error-messages/119 "2019-08-09T22:27:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ubruhin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/c89c15/32.png) [@ubruhin](https://librepcb.discourse.group/u/ubruhin)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 10:27pm UTC](https://librepcb.discourse.group/t/translation-for-low-level-error-messages/119/1 "2019-08-09T22:27:57Z")

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On Transifex we got some questions about strings like these:

> The device “%1” does not match with the componentinstance “%2”.

> There is already a netpoint with the UUID “%1”!

> Invalid netclass UUID: “%1”

etc.

Those are pretty “low level” error messages, and thus sometimes too technical for translators/users. Users would see them very rarely, basically only when something went really wrong, like invalid files were loaded (`RuntimeError`) or in case of bugs (`LogicError`).

I just wonder if it’s worth the effort to translate such strings, or if it would make sense to disable translation for them. Without such low level strings, translators automatically focus on more important strings, i.e. strings which actually are visible to users. IMHO the small “risk” of seeing untranslated messages in rare cases shouldn’t hurt too much…

Any opinions about this?

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**Author:** ![EdizonTN](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/librepcb.discourse.group/edizontn/32/222_2.png) [@EdizonTN](https://librepcb.discourse.group/u/EdizonTN)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2019, 12:07am UTC](https://librepcb.discourse.group/t/translation-for-low-level-error-messages/119/2 "2019-08-11T00:07:17Z")

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Some text is better in english. For example PCB layers names.

Also runtime error (or other messages) which is shown in case a program crash or in critical situation which user cannot influence, are better in english or simply error code. Message form title, or general critical text should be a translateable.

Ex:  
Form title: Critical error. - translateable  
Form text: Something is very badly. Program now exits. Opened document are not saved. - translateable  
Technical details: - translateable  
“E056846 - index is out” - not translateable

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**Author:** ![dbrgn](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/librepcb.discourse.group/dbrgn/32/25_2.png) [@dbrgn](https://librepcb.discourse.group/u/dbrgn)\
**Post date:** [August 19, 2019, 3:22pm UTC](https://librepcb.discourse.group/t/translation-for-low-level-error-messages/119/3 "2019-08-19T15:22:08Z")

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Yeah, maybe we should have a generic, translatable error message, and leave the “internal” error message in English. Makes it easier to search for it in the source code too.

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**Author:** ![ubruhin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/c89c15/32.png) [@ubruhin](https://librepcb.discourse.group/u/ubruhin)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2020, 11:16pm UTC](https://librepcb.discourse.group/t/translation-for-low-level-error-messages/119/4 "2020-02-16T23:16:19Z")

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For the record, I removed a lot of the low-level error translations:

> <https://github.com/LibrePCB/LibrePCB/pull/674>