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Translation Guide

This guide explains how to add translations for the Phoenix Wright Accessibility Mod.

Overview

The mod supports multiple languages by loading text from language-specific folders. When the game runs, the mod detects the game's language setting and loads the appropriate translation files. If a translation doesn't exist for the current language, English is used as a fallback.

Folder Structure

Each language has its own folder under AccessibilityMod/Data/:

AccessibilityMod/Data/
├── en/                          # English (base/fallback language)
│   ├── strings.json             # UI strings and announcements
│   ├── GS1_Names.json           # Character names for Game 1
│   ├── GS2_Names.json           # Character names for Game 2
│   ├── GS3_Names.json           # Character names for Game 3
│   └── EvidenceDetails/         # Evidence detail descriptions
│       ├── GS1/
│       │   ├── 1.txt
│       │   ├── 2.txt
│       │   └── ...
│       ├── GS2/
│       └── GS3/
├── fr/                          # French
├── de/                          # German
├── ja/                          # Japanese
├── ko/                          # Korean
├── zh-Hans/                     # Simplified Chinese
├── zh-Hant/                     # Traditional Chinese
├── pt-BR/                       # Brazilian Portuguese
└── es/                          # Spanish (Latin America)

Language Codes

The mod uses these language codes based on the game's language setting:

Game Language Folder Name
English (USA) en
Japanese ja
French fr
German de
Korean ko
Simplified Chinese zh-Hans
Traditional Chinese zh-Hant
Brazilian Portuguese pt-BR
Spanish (Latin America) es

How to Create a Translation

  1. Copy the English folder: Create a copy of the en/ folder and rename it to your language code (e.g., fr/ for French).

  2. Translate the files: Edit each file in your new folder to replace English text with your translation.

  3. Test your translation: Set your game language to match your translation and run the game with the mod.

  4. Submit a pull request: Add your translation folder to the repository.

File Formats

strings.json

This file contains all the mod's UI strings and announcements. It's a JSON file with key-value pairs.

Format:

{
  "key.name": "Translated text here",
  "key.with.placeholder": "Text with {0} placeholder"
}

Rules:

  • Keys must remain exactly as they are in the English file (don't translate keys)
  • Placeholders like {0}, {1} must be preserved in your translation
  • Lines starting with _ are comments/section markers and don't need translation
  • Keep the JSON syntax valid (quotes, commas, braces)

Example:

{
  "trial.penalty": "Penalty! {0} remaining",
  "navigation.item_x_of_y": "Item {0} of {1}"
}

Character Name Files (GS1_Names.json, GS2_Names.json, GS3_Names.json)

These files map character sprite IDs to display names. The game already localizes character names in dialogue, but these are used for announcements when the game doesn't provide a name.

Format:

{
  "2": "Phoenix Wright",
  "4": "Maya Fey"
}

Rules:

  • Keys are sprite IDs (numbers as strings) - might be different between localizations
  • Values are character names in your language
  • Use the official localized names from your version of the game

Note: Most character names should match the official game localization. Check your language's version of the game for the correct names.

Evidence Detail Files (EvidenceDetails/GS1/*.txt, etc.)

These files provide accessible descriptions for evidence detail images. The game shows these as images with no text, so we provide hand-written descriptions.

Format:

  • Plain text files named by detail ID (e.g., 9.txt)
  • Multiple pages separated by === on its own line

Example (9.txt):

Case Summary:
12/28, 2001
Elevator, District Court.
Air in elevator was oxygen depleted at time of incident.
No clues found on the scene.
===
Victim Data:
Gregory Edgeworth (Age 35)
Defense attorney. Trapped in elevator returning from a lost trial with son Miles (Age 9).
One bullet found in heart. The murder weapon was fired twice.
===
Suspect Data:
Yanni Yogi (Age 37)
Court bailiff, trapped with the Edgeworths. Memory loss due to oxygen deprivation.
After his arrest, fiancee Polly Jenkins committed suicide.

Rules:

  • Filename must be the detail ID number (e.g., 9.txt)
  • Use === on its own line to separate pages
  • Describe the visual content of each page in the evidence detail view
  • Dates, names, and facts should match the game's localization for your language

Testing Your Translation

  1. Copy your translation folder to the game's UserData folder:

    [Game Install]/UserData/AccessibilityMod/[your-language-code]/

  2. Set the game's language to match your translation.

  3. Launch the game with MelonLoader.

  4. Press F5 in-game to hot-reload translation files after making changes.

  5. Test various scenarios:

    • Menu navigation
    • Dialogue (character names)
    • Investigation mode
    • Trial sequences
    • Evidence examination
    • Mini-games (fingerprinting, luminol, etc.)

Validating Your Translation

Use the LocalizationValidator tool to check your translation for common issues before submitting.

Running the Validator

cd LocalizationValidator
dotnet run -- <language-code>

Examples:

# Validate French translation
dotnet run -- fr

# Validate with strict mode (warnings become errors)
dotnet run -- ja --strict

# Use custom data path
dotnet run -- de --data-path C:\Path\To\Data

What It Checks

Check Severity Description
Missing keys Error Keys present in English but missing in your translation
Extra keys Warning Keys in your translation that don't exist in English (typos or outdated)
Placeholder mismatch Error Format placeholders ({0}, {1}) don't match English
Incomplete plurals Warning Missing .one or .other form when English has both
Empty values Warning Translated value is empty when English has content

Example Output

Validating: fr/strings.json against en/strings.json

=== ERRORS ===
[MISSING] navigation.new_key - Key missing in translation
[PLACEHOLDER] trial.life_gauge - Expected {0}, found {1}

=== WARNINGS ===
[EXTRA] old.removed_key - Key not in English (remove or typo?)

=== SUMMARY ===
English keys: 390
Translated keys: 385
Errors: 2
Warnings: 1

Validation FAILED

Fix all errors before submitting your translation. Warnings should be reviewed but may be acceptable in some cases.

Partial Translations

You don't need to translate everything at once. The mod falls back to English for any missing files:

  • If fr/strings.json is missing, English strings are used
  • If fr/GS2_Names.json is missing, English names are used for GS2
  • If fr/EvidenceDetails/GS1/9.txt is missing, the English description is used

This means you can start with just strings.json and add other files later.

Tips

  • Use the English files as reference: They contain all the keys and show the expected format.
  • Preserve placeholders: {0}, {1}, etc. are replaced with values at runtime. Your translation must include them.
  • Match game terminology: Use the same terms the official game localization uses (e.g., "Court Record" vs "Evidence").
  • Test edge cases: Some strings are only shown in specific scenarios (mini-games, puzzles).
  • Keep formatting minimal: The text is read by screen readers, so keep it clear and concise.

Questions?

If you have questions about translating specific strings or need context for what a string is used for, please open an issue on the repository.