Localisation using CSV files

Parley supports localisation using CSV files and aims to follow the Godot guidance described here.

With Parley, users can both import and export CSV files to manage internationalisation.

In CSV mode, no context will be provided to the inbuilt tr function and as such, the translation identifier provided becomes very important. As such, translation CSV files can be broken down into two main components:

1. Translation ID#

This is used to identify the text to translate for a Node and is passed to the inbuilt Godot tr function. It is inferred as follows:

1. The text_translation_key field on the Node. This can be set using the Parley Node Editor. If present and populated on the Node, this will be used.
2. If the text_translation_key is not present or empty, then the Node text field on the Node is used as the translation key.

As an example, let’s say we have the following nodes:

{
  "nodes": [
    {
      "id": "node:1",
      "text": "I have a coffee.",
      "text_translation_key": ""
      // ...
    },
    {
      "id": "node:2",
      "text": "Give to Alice.",
      "text_translation_key": "GIVE_TO_ALICE"
    }
    // ...
  ]
  // ...
}

In the example above, the Translation ID would be:

• node:1: I have a coffee.
• node:2: GIVE_TO_ALICE

A corresponding CSV file (for a default header key and en project locale) would look like the following:

keys,en
I have a coffee.,I have a coffee.
GIVE_TO_ALICE,Give to Alice.

Tip

By default, translation keys for Nodes will not be set and creating them for every Node in a Dialogue Sequence can be a pain. However, this is easily rectified by clicking the Translations -> Generate Text Translation Keys... button in the Parley plugin view. This will generate a text Translation Key for every Dialogue or Dialogue Option Node that doesn’t have a populated Text Translation Key in the Dialogue Sequence.

2. Project locale translation value#

This is equivalent to the text field of the Dialogue and Dialogue Option Node and matches the project locale value within translations. This is always included in imports and exports and is always used as a fallback when no translation is available.

As an example, let’s say we have the following nodes:

{
  "nodes": [
    {
      "id": "node:1",
      "text": "I have a coffee.",
      "text_translation_key": ""
      // ...
    },
    {
      "id": "node:2",
      "text": "Give to Alice.",
      "text_translation_key": "GIVE_TO_ALICE"
    }
    // ...
  ]
  // ...
}

In the example above, the values are:

• node:1: I have a coffee.
• node:2: Give to Alice.

A corresponding CSV file (with an en project locale) would look like the following:

keys,en
I have a coffee.,I have a coffee.
GIVE_TO_ALICE,Give to Alice.