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wed 2026-10-07 18:00 UTC

[PATCH v3 0/5] docs(l10n): AI agent instructions and workflow improvements

From
Jiang Xin <worldhello.net@gmail.com>
Date
Mar 14, 2026, 14:38 UTC
Message-ID
<cover.1773497547.git.worldhello.net@gmail.com>
In-Reply-To
<CANYiYbFM9+4xGmeBRNCC6VyW9EzjEFxEWHDNnOVhJNM73Ga_FA@mail.gmail.com>
## Changes since v2
- CI: Fix trailing spaces that caused check-whitespace to fail.
- Size: Trim po/AGENTS.md by removing unnecessary examples and compressing
  wording so the file stays smaller and easier to follow.
- GETTEXT JSON: Use a single `msgstr` array for all translations instead
  of separate `msgstr` (string) and `msgstr_plural` (array). One element
  means singular; multiple elements mean plural forms in order. This reduces
  redundancy and model errors.
- Workflow: Rename the final step of translation workflow to "Only after
  loop exits" so agents do not jump from the merge step to the final step
  before the loop has exited. Simplify the review flow by using one pending
  file for entries awaiting review instead of multiple review-input-<N>.json
  files and file-selection logic.
## Introduction

This series introduces AI agent instructions for Git localization (l10n) workflows to help localization contributors quickly complete drafts and use AI to check translation quality. The changes focus on:

1. Separating agent-specific documentation into po/AGENTS.md for
   targeted optimization of AI-assisted workflows
2. Providing step-by-step instructions for update-pot, update-po,
   translation, and review tasks
3. Simplifying location filtering for PO file commits via .gitattributes

AI-assisted translation is optional; many successful l10n teams work well without it. When used, AI output serves as reference only—human contributors must review and approve before submission.

## Performance summary

Benchmarks use the Qwen model via git-po-helper. The improvements reduce API costs and make agent workflows more efficient while maintaining human oversight of translation quality.

| Task        | Before              | After                    | Improvement                           |
|-------------|---------------------|--------------------------|---------------------------------------|
| update-pot  | 17 turns, 34s       | 3 turns, 8s (range 3–3)  | -82% turns, -76% time                 |
| update-po   | 22 turns, 38s       | 4 turns, 9s (3–9, 7–14s) | -82% turns, -76% time                 |
| translate   | 86 turns, ~21m      | 56 turns, ~19m           | -35% turns (git-po-helper JSON batch) |
| review      | N/A                 | 22 turns (63 entries)    |                                       |
## Testing

All changes have been evaluated with the qwen model via git-po-helper agent-test and agent-run. The po/AGENTS.md instructions are designed to work with coding tools that support file references (e.g., "Translate po/zh_CN.po by referring to @po/AGENTS.md").

## Changes
Jiang Xin (5):
  l10n: add .gitattributes to simplify location filtering
  docs(l10n): add AGENTS.md with optimized update-pot instructions
  docs(l10n): add AI agent instructions for updating po/XX.po files
  docs(l10n): add AI agent instructions for translating PO files
  docs(l10n): add AI agent instructions to review translations
 po/.gitattributes |  36 ++
 po/AGENTS.md      | 872 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 po/README.md      |  70 ++--
 3 files changed, 946 insertions(+), 32 deletions(-)
 create mode 100644 po/.gitattributes
 create mode 100644 po/AGENTS.md
-- 
2.53.0.rc2.20.g532543fa46
Previous: Jiang XinNext: Jiang Xin
Message 26 of 45 in “[RFC] Introducing AI Agents to Git Localization”
  1. Jiang XinFeb 4, 2026
  2. Peter KreftingFeb 4, 2026
  3. Michal SuchánekFeb 4, 2026
  4. 依云Feb 4, 2026
  5. Jiang XinFeb 5, 2026
  6. brian m. carlsonFeb 5, 2026
  7. Jiang XinFeb 5, 2026
  8. Michal SuchánekFeb 5, 2026
  9. Jiang XinFeb 5, 2026
  10. Jiang XinFeb 5, 2026
  11. 1/2 l10n: add .gitattributes to simplify location filteringJiang Xin, Feb 5, 2026
  12. 2/2 l10n: README: document AI assistant guidelinesJiang Xin, Feb 5, 2026
  13. Michal SuchánekFeb 5, 2026
  14. Junio C HamanoFeb 5, 2026
  15. Junio C HamanoFeb 5, 2026
  16. Jiang XinFeb 6, 2026
  17. 0/5 docs(l10n): AI agent instructions and workflow improvementsJiang Xin, Mar 3, 2026
  18. 1/5 l10n: add .gitattributes to simplify location filteringJiang Xin, Mar 3, 2026
  19. 2/5 docs(l10n): add AGENTS.md with optimized update-pot instructionsJiang Xin, Mar 3, 2026
  20. 3/5 docs(l10n): add AI agent instructions for updating po/XX.po filesJiang Xin, Mar 3, 2026
  21. 4/5 docs(l10n): add AI agent instructions for translating PO filesJiang Xin, Mar 3, 2026
  22. 5/5 docs(l10n): add AI agent instructions to review translationsJiang Xin, Mar 3, 2026
  23. Jiang XinMar 12, 2026
  24. Jiang XinMar 12, 2026
  25. Jiang XinMar 12, 2026
  26. 0/5 docs(l10n): AI agent instructions and workflow improvementsJiang Xin, Mar 14, 2026
  27. 1/5 l10n: add .gitattributes to simplify location filteringJiang Xin, Mar 14, 2026
  28. 2/5 docs(l10n): add AGENTS.md with optimized update-pot instructionsJiang Xin, Mar 14, 2026
  29. 3/5 docs(l10n): add AI agent instructions for updating po/XX.po filesJiang Xin, Mar 14, 2026
  30. 4/5 docs(l10n): add AI agent instructions for translating PO filesJiang Xin, Mar 14, 2026
  31. 5/5 docs(l10n): add AI agent instructions to review translationsJiang Xin, Mar 14, 2026
  32. Johannes SixtMar 15, 2026
  33. Junio C HamanoMar 15, 2026
  34. Jiang XinMar 16, 2026
  35. Jiang XinMar 16, 2026
  36. Johannes SixtMar 16, 2026
  37. 0/5 docs(l10n): AI agent instructions and workflow improvementsJiang Xin, Mar 16, 2026
  38. 1/5 l10n: add .gitattributes to simplify location filteringJiang Xin, Mar 16, 2026
  39. 2/5 docs(l10n): add AGENTS.md with optimized update-pot instructionsJiang Xin, Mar 16, 2026
  40. 3/5 docs(l10n): add AI agent instructions for updating po/XX.po filesJiang Xin, Mar 16, 2026
  41. 4/5 docs(l10n): add AI agent instructions for translating PO filesJiang Xin, Mar 16, 2026
  42. 5/5 docs(l10n): add AI agent instructions to review translationsJiang Xin, Mar 16, 2026
  43. Jiang XinMar 31, 2026
  44. Junio C HamanoMar 31, 2026
  45. Jiang XinMar 31, 2026

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