itch.io

Update: I built a small free beta so the idea can be tested as a working tool rather than discussed in the abstract:

https://hickery68.itch.io/localization-change-review

It is a single-file offline browser tool for wide CSV files with stable keys. It flags source-changed / translation-unchanged rows for human review, plus added and removed keys. It does not translate, modify files, or replace gettext/PO workflows that already provide reliable fuzzy flags.

If anyone tries it on a real CSV workflow, I’d especially value feedback on whether the report catches something your current process misses.

Thanks, fair point. The changing herb count should be a parameter, and I should have shown that the proposed CSV has a stable key column.

The case I meant is an instruction changing under the same key, e.g. UI_INVENTORY_HINT: “Press Tab to open the inventory” becomes “Hold Tab to open the inventory”, while the translated cells remain unchanged. That would call for review, not an automatic correction.

I also see that gettext already has fuzzy review flags. Does your existing workflow catch these source-text changes, or have you run into a gap when working with CSV exports? I’d rather establish that before building another tool.

I’m evaluating a small tool idea; no app exists yet. It would compare two CSV localization exports and flag changed source strings whose translations stayed unchanged, plus added/removed keys.

Synthetic example: “Collect 5 herbs” becomes “Collect 8 herbs”, while the Ukrainian translation still says “Зберіть 5 трав”. The report would say “needs review”, not automatically declare an error: some wording changes need no translation update.

It would run offline in a browser, without translating or modifying files. I’m considering a one-time $15 price, but first want to understand the problem.

How often has this happened in your recent projects? How do you currently find and review the affected translations?