Comment 40 for bug 274065

(In reply to comment #37)

> Stringbundle is the feature made for loading localized strings, but
> that's a little more code. Is it a common pattern for addons to avoid
> stringbundles by using XML entities and XHR instead?

The use of localized XML entities here is a way to avoid redundant translation strings. To elaborate:

I do indeed use a stringbundle (search for chrome://foxyproxy/locale/foxyproxy.properties in foxyproxy.js). However, it's my understanding that stringbundles can only load property files. They cannot load DTD files. Often a string is used in both a XUL file and in a JS file not associated with a XUL dialog. Rather than duplicate the string (once in a DTD file and once in a property file), requiring translators double work, this technique is used to access DTD-based strings from JS.

I would speculate this pattern isn't done frequently, but I do know at least one other major extension which does it--FoxClocks. Andy McDonald, FoxClocks author, was the one who coined this idea AFAIK.

I am open to alternative uses of stringbundles/DTD files/etc to avoid double translation issues... please let me know if Andy and I have missed the obvious!

> If foxyproxy were "flat" instead of jarred this wouldn't come up, but that's
> ducking the issue.

I realize you're trying to fix the underlying cause. At the moment, I'm trying to patch FoxyProxy so Firefox 2.x users can use it. With that in mind, do you know if this would come up if I avoid XHR for reading strings.xml and instead use a file input stream?