DOKK / manpages / debian 12 / rdtool / rdswap.1.en
DEBIAN/RDSWAP(1) General Commands Manual DEBIAN/RDSWAP(1)

rdswap - a multi-language RD documents support tool

rdswap [ -h | -v ] filename ...

This tool is written to support you to write multi-language documents using the Ruby-Document-Format (RD).

The idea for such a tool was originated by Minero Aoki, how has thought about, how to make life easier for developers who have to write and maintain scripts in more than one language.

You have to specify at least two filenames on the command line. One containing the Ruby script, the second containing a translated RD. If the script does not end with `.rb', it has to be the first filename mentioned on the command line! In opposition, all files containing translations must not ending with `.rb'! They should use a extension that describes the language. So that would give us the following picture:

• sample.rb : Script contains the original documentation.
• sample.jp : Documentation written in Japanese.
• sample.de : Translation to German.

The tool doesn't care about the language extensions. You can name them as you like! So the file containing the Japanese translation above, could also be names e.g. `sample.japan' or even `japantranslation.japan'.

For every translation file, a new file will be created. The name is build from the script filename plus the language extension. So regarding the example above, following files would be created:

• sample.rb.jp
• sample.rb.de

or, given the alternative translation filename as mentioned above...

• sample.rb.japan

The contents of all files will be split into source and RD blocks. The source of the translation files, will be discarded! Every RD block may be of a certain type. The type will be taken from the contents directly following the `=begin' on the same line. If there is only a lonely `=begin' on a line by itself, the type of the block is `nil'. That means in

    # File sample.rd
    :
    =begin
     bla bla
    =end
    :
    =begin whatever or not
     blub blub
    =end
    :

the first block would be of type `nil' and the second one of type `whatever or not'.

Block types are important for the translation. If a source will be generated from a script and a translation file, only these blocks are taken from the translation files, that comes in the right sequence and contains the same type as the block in the script! For example:

    # File sample.rb
    :
    =begin gnark
     Some comment
    =end
    :
    =begin
     block 2
    =end
    :
    =begin
     block 3
    =end
    :
    
    # File sample.de
    :
    =begin
     Block zwei
    =end
    :
    =begin
     Block drei
    =end
    :

Here, the first block of `sample.rb' will *not* be translated, as there is no translation block with that type in sample.de! So the first block would be inserted as-it-is into the translated script. The blocks afterwards, however, are translated as the block type does match (it is `nil' there).

Attention: In a translation file, a second block will only be used, if a first one was already used (matched). A third block will only be used, if a second one was used already!

That means, if the first block of `sample.de' would be of type e.g. `Never match', then no block would ever be taken to replace anyone of `sample.rb'.


-h
shows this help text.

-v
shows some more text during processing.

filename
means a file, that contains RD and/or Ruby code.

    rdswap -v sample.rb sample.ja sample.de
    rdswap -v sample.ja sample.rb sample.de
    rdswap -v sample.ja sample.de sample.rb
    rdswap -v sample.??

Clemens Hintze <c.hintze@gmx.net>.

June 2022