Mozdev.org

After releasing the 0.1.1 bugfix release at the MozCamp in Prague, the second bugfix release is approaching.
We hope to have solved all the bugs that may have caused "Failed to compare!" errors without obvious reasons as well as a few other bugs. We would like to have this version tested before releasing it as the final version, so you can use the 0.1.2 release candidate now.
If you are upgrading from a previous version, then after the upgrade we encourage you to close the current Komodo-Koala project, restart Komodo, and create a new Komodo-Koala project instead of using the old one.

Tomorrow at 10 am we will present the Koala project. If you are in Prague at the MozCamp, you'll will have a great opportunity to learn more about the project.
Florian S. and I are already there, so if you have some feedback or questions - don't hesitate to talk with us.

Yesterday was the day for our team: after two alpha, two beta and one rc release, we decided to release the first stable release of Koala, the 0.1 version.
 
We were able to integrate all the features we wanted to, and even more! For example: Koala supports Mercurial, even in Komodo Edit!
If you are a Mozilla localizer or just want to see how one can work on Mozilla localization using Koala: we would really appreciate your feedback!
 
Like for the preview releases, the same goes for 0.1 final: Koala on Windows IS NOT compatible with Komodo versions prior to and including 5.2.0 beta 1. To use Koala on Windows, please use the 5.2.0 Komodo IDE or Komodo Edit versions.

Today we finally released the alpha 2 version of the upcoming first stable Koala release.
 
The release should still be considered a "developer preview", but it is nearly feature complete. The not quite working features are: Mercurial clone and add support, translation suggestions and a not really working building of localized binary builds.
 
Like for alpha 1, the same goes for alpha 2: Koala on Windows IS NOT compatible with Komodo versions prior to and including 5.2.0 alpha 1, due to a bug in that Komodo releases. To test Koala on Windows, please use the nightly versions of 5.2.0 or the upcoming 5.2.0 alpha 2 release.
 
You should read the Known Bugs section of the Release Notes before using this Koala release.
The biggest known bug happens after making changes in the Management window. To workaround the bug, you have to restart Komodo every time after closing the Management window or you will run into endless trouble.

Adam:

• since I'm busy with exams, there are no updates from my side

Adrian:

• published the release schedule blog post on my private blog (since it's connected to http://planet.mozilla.org )
• exam session started - development will be on hold (from my side) until June, 25th

Florian:

• developing also mostly on hold due to exams but will try to regain lost code in free time

Adam:

• some minor updates to our UML Documentation
• Thanks to Lidiya we have some first merchandising wallpapers available for download at www.gnome-look.org: 1024x768 and 1280x1024

Adrian:

• backend code for making language packs or builds working (on a Mac), but requires cleanups before committing. TODO (for later): research how to implement this using "native" methods provided by Komodo/Gecko - and not through an own PyXPCOM bridge
• download and installing the MozillaBuild environment works like a charm... with Wine on OS X. Testing on real Windows installations will be needed later
• renaming files/folders works
• removing entities from files works too
• prepared a blog post where I'm explaining our release schedule (not published, yet)

Florian:

• due to a mistake while synchronizing between my portable and stationary programming station I got to programm parts of the frontend anew
• however got most of it covered but part of the management and the suggestion addon interface are still missing

Short info: added Adam's missing status updates for the previous two status updates

Adam:

• implemented and commited all assigned JavaScript features
• lexer for property files (UDL based) - super alpha version 2

Adrian:

• PyXPCOM bridge for some needed Silme functions, and it's implementation
• started working on the backend for building builds and language packs

Florian:

• finished implementing most of the frontend management
• next I got some implementing to do on the suggestion addon interface as well as the marking of entities in the opened files

A bit late, but here it is: the missing status update:

Adam:

• lexer for property files (UDL based) - super alpha version

Adrian:

• PyXPCOM bridge for koala-compare (compare-locales2), and it's implementation

Florian:

• finished implementing file view side bar
• finished implementing editing support lower tab
• finished implementing management window
• got to do some more implementing for the frontend

Adam:

• defined database architecture for Koala's local suggestion addon
• made the first patch for our official software requirements specification
• getting familiar with 'compare-locales' and 'silme' documentation
• getting familiar with lexers for Komodo

Adrian:

• Done:
  • Software Architecture document finally ready
  • Time for regular status meetings accepted by everyone (Tuesdays)
  • Prototype of a PyXPCOM bridge for compare-locales2
• Plans:
  • Ready to use PyXPCOM bridges for compare-locales2 and Silme
  • Add this blog to planet.mozilla.org (after finding out how to tag posts here...)
  • More blogging...

Florian:

• finished feature list (features we need to implement, and which feature is done by whom, and till when)
• wrote some lines on our homepage
• start implementing the prototype of our GUI into a functional working GUI

Starting with today, we will post once a week status updates regarding what we have done last week and what we plan for the following week.
Since this is the first update posted online, it holds events from the past few weeks.

Adam:

First of all – the name for our project: 'Koala' comes from me and I'm really proud because of that. At the moment I can't remember how did it happened :) - how did I came up with this name - but I can assure you that it was an accident. I proposed dozens of names – all failed, hard. But then, this one short moment in time and now we have 'Koala'.

On the technical side I spent most of the time with prototypes. Well I have to admit that I'm new to most of the technologies used at Mozilla. I have never worked before with mozconf, XUL or even Mercurial (I prefer Subversion :) ). At the moment I just have to see and touch before I can believe. Following this path I made some first, trivial prototypes for our user interface. With hard-coded strings, faked JavaScript methods and so on.

Besides XUL I also investigated SCC – Source Code Control features provided by Komodo IDE.

This nice 'cake' of activities has then been closed with syntax highlighting. In our Mercurial repository http://hg.mozdev.org/koala/ you can find the directory 'Syntaxhighlighting'. There are multiple PDF files – those are just simple exports from few editors which support syntax highlighting. I made it to get a overview how and what should be highlighted. All the ideas I got are summarized in 'Koala-Syntaxhighlighting.html' - a single HTML file with examples for our upcoming default color theme. It is still work in progress so feel free give us some feedback about it.

Adrian:

• Done:
  • registered Koala as a project on MozDev
  • set-up of a provisional web page for Koala
  • organized the writing of the Software Requirements Specification for Koala
  • many Skype-team-meetings about what is possible, what is not, and what requires too much time
• Plans:
  • Finishing up the Technical Requirements Specification till Sunday
  • Set-up weekly phone/Skype meetings with Axel
  • Writing a few more blog posts about Koala
  • Talk with Axel and Komodo about the requirements specified in our SRS to make sure they are achievable.

Florian:

• old work:
  • Became familiar with:
    • Komodo
    • Python
    • XUL
    • Mercurial (hg)
  • created GUI draft with inputs from Adam and Adrian
  • created Specification Requirements for visual presentation and editing support
  • took first version of introduction blog post and created a new version out of it
• current work:
  • creating feature list from Specification Requirements till Friday
    • admitting one of the us members to each of the feature as person in charge of it
    • setting up due-date for each feature

Let us welcome you to our first blog entry on the Koala Project Team Blog.

We would like to show you a short overview what Koala is and who we are.

So first of all what is Koala?

The name Koala stand for "Komodo Advanced Localization Addon" and it will be an open source extension for Komodo IDE and Komodo Edit to help with the localization of Mozilla based projects. It is being done as an official university project for this summer-term.

Who is the "Koala Project Team"?

We are three students studying computer science at the University of Applied Sciences in Wuerzburg (Fachhochschule Würzburg) (in Germany) who teamed up to create this project.

Adam:

Another regular Polish guy who study computer science in Germany. Huge supporter of closed source and software patents. His motto for life: "The resistance that you fight physically in the gym and the resistance that you fight in life can only build a strong character." - Arnold Schwarzenegger

Adrian:

Born in Upper Silesia (Poland), studying now in Germany. I was a Mozilla intern last year and see this project as an opportunity to continue my work on Mozilla L10n Tools. Adrian tells you: "do not take everything what Adam says seriously".

Florian:

The only guy in the team that has nothing to do with Poland: a genuine German as I was born in Hamburg and now living in Würzburg and also studying there. This'll be my first real project with actual deadly deadlines, so let's get this thing going. My Motto is: Obey gravity: it's the law!

The project is mentored by our university's Professor Dr. Frank Deinzer and also Mozilla Corporations Axel Hecht.

How do we came up with it?

Adrian developed during his internship at Mozilla last year a command-line based tool called internally "compare-locales2" to find missing, obsolete or broken elements in localizations of Mozilla based products (and extensions for that products too).

As this term schedules the work on an official University project that will be realized by groups of students, I needed a project idea. Axel came up with the idea to create an extended graphical user interface for "compare-locales2" - extended, because it will have much more feature than just comparing localizations.

What exactly are we working on?

Calling Koala "just a graphical user interface for compare-locales2" would underestimate the objectives we have set for it. It will be an extension for the Komodo Edit & Komodo IDE developer-editor/IDE applications, that will help with the daily work of holding Mozilla localizations up-to-date.
Starting with pulling Mercurial repositories, simple assistance while editing localization files with syntaxhighlyting showing missing or new localization files as well compare the files and even show missing or deleted entities directly in the working files, also helping during the translation process with suggestions for the entity that is currently edited and ending with committing the changes back to the repository. Merging all these processes in one tool will be what we want to achieve with Koala.

Sincerely,
The Koala Project Team