Language options¶
Open File → Options… → Language to select the language of OpenTag's interface. Choose OK to apply it immediately.
Add a translation
Follow Languages and translations to edit the generated catalog and install it in the configuration folder.
Controls¶
| Control | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Language | Lists System default, the bundled English/Dutch/German catalogs, and valid user catalogs. Each catalog uses its authored display name; user entries also show their filename. |
| System default | The default choice. Matches preferred system languages to available catalogs by exact locale, then base language, with English fallback. Its parentheses show the resolved catalog name. |
| Open languages folder | Available only in the native desktop app; hidden in mobile builds and browser preview. Opens the active configuration folder's languages directory and refreshes _template.json. |
| File warning | Reports files that could not be read or entries that are missing or invalid. Missing translations and entries with invalid placeholders use English. |
The language choice is saved with the application configuration. OpenTag reads user catalogs at startup and after Options OK; reopen the page after that reload to select a newly added language. If the folder cannot be read, OpenTag reports the failure and retains catalogs already loaded in this session. A missing folder is a successful empty reload. File warnings appear as separate entries, with each filename and count kept together. OpenTag's warning text follows the selected language; parser and operating-system details keep their original wording.
The desktop interface becomes visible after its initial settings and catalog load settles. This includes overrides of shipped languages and custom catalogs selected by System default. A settings-read failure tries the device's last remembered language; unavailable catalogs follow the fallback rules below.
Error headings for application operations follow the selected language. Actual file and directory names in the error list keep their spelling. Converter rollback summaries translate their outcome and recovery wording in both the dialog and error list, while paths and operating-system details retain their spelling. Action, undo/redo, playlist-line and saved-cover errors also translate their application wording. Group names, history labels, file paths and external error details remain unchanged, including in an open failure dialog when the interface language changes. Action-group import warnings and skipped-column reasons also update independently, beside unchanged group and column names.
Application-owned accessible labels follow the selected language too, including cover types and states. Type labels in the cover viewer and Extract cover dialog follow that language beside unchanged counters and image properties. Authored cover descriptions and folder-image names remain unchanged.
Status messages translate their application text, including copied/cut-tag summaries and saved-cover notices. Paths and field identifiers within those messages keep their original spelling. Source locations and names also keep their spelling, including web-source dialog names announced by assistive technology; unavailable-source and empty-location notices translate. The window title also translates generated location summaries, including desktop startup and forwarded launches, when directory display is enabled, while actual paths retain their spelling. Freedb server names stay as entered during editing; clearing a name shows the translated Unnamed server label. Export duplicate-name errors also retain the name entered while translating the surrounding message. File-list cell editors announce the same column name shown in the header: default names follow the UI language, while custom names keep their spelling. Selection-preset names also keep their spelling in the removal dialog. Tool-name edits keep authored names in both tool selectors; an empty draft name shows a translated numbered fallback. Toolbar hints keep the tool or action-group name even when its toolbar item has a different display name. Keeping a mixed field reports its technical key unchanged while translating the status. Mapping validation translates its numbered row label while keeping field identifiers unchanged. Favorite and included-directory lists retain saved paths, including relative names.
Catalog files¶
| Entry | Meaning |
|---|---|
<locale>.json |
Adds a catalog, for example fr.json or pt-BR.json. The generated template derives its locale from the copied filename. |
@meta.name |
The catalog's display name. Its spelling is preserved in both the user option and System default, even if it equals an English UI label. |
@meta.locale |
Optional explicit locale override, supported for existing catalogs. The generated template omits it. The value system is reserved for System default and is rejected. |
| English text key | Identifies an application string. Translate its value, preserving brace-placeholder names. |
@keys |
Optional keyboard-key labels, such as German Ctrl → Strg. Keep the key names and change their displayed values. |
nl.json, de.json, en.json |
Replaces the corresponding bundled catalog. Removing an override restores the bundled catalog on reload. |
_template.json |
The current English source entries. Files beginning with _ are not offered as languages. |
Files must be JSON objects, no larger than 4 MiB. Missing translations and
invalid placeholder entries use English. Removing a selected added catalog
falls back to English; removing an override restores its bundled language.
An explicit regional choice uses only that locale: removing pt-BR.json does
not select pt.json or pt-PT.json. Regional matching applies to System
default. The unavailable saved choice is shown as Unavailable: pt-BR
(using English), for example. Leave it selected to retain that preference, or select
English and choose OK to replace it.
What stays unchanged¶
Language selection does not translate metadata, filenames, paths, format strings, field identifiers or user-defined names. Installed web sources retain their authored names, search labels, result column names and settings prose. OpenTag-owned controls and default search labels still follow the selected application language.
Catalogs change interface text but keep the current left-to-right layout. A right-to-left catalog, such as Arabic or Hebrew, does not switch the document direction or mirror controls, menus and navigation.
Some operating-system controls, library messages and backend text added after the catalog snapshot remain outside the catalog. A translated UI is not a claim of identical wording or runtime behavior to another tagging program.