Add Traditional Chinese support

[fshiori]

Add Traditional Chinese support

[michaelwittig]

Hi @fshiori Thanks for your contribution. So far, the language codes in this library are ISO 639-1 codes.

zh-tw is not in this list and might be related to #47

Can we might use a ISO 639-3 language code listed here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_639_macrolanguage#zho ? I'm not an expert on languages at all and need help here.

[fshiori]

Hello @michaelwittig
I suggest use BCP 47 to replace ISO 639-1/639-3, too. Like #47

Because Mandarin Chinese(ISO 639-1: zh/ ISO 639-3:cmn/BCP47: zh-Hans) and Taiwanese Mandarin(BCP47: zh-Hant)have different written word.

[michaelwittig]

I believe #47 is about entering a BCP47 code, and only use the first part before the -. But your case is different because zh and zh-tw are two different things.

[michaelwittig]

#94 seems to solve the same use case

[michaelwittig]

I found this:
"How does one make distinctions between traditional and simplified Chinese characters and using the ISO 639 language codes?
The differences between traditional and simplified Chinese characters cannot be represented using the ISO 639 codes because these are distinctions in script. The character sets can be coded using ISO 15924 (Code for the Representation of Names of Scripts) script codes as subtags appended to the primary subtag for Chinese."
http://www.loc.gov/standards/iso639-2/faq.html#23

[fshiori]

Yes, #94 is solve the same use case.
And the link describe my question, too.

We can't only use ISO 639 to distinguish between simplified Chinese and traditional Chinese.
Before BCP47, we usually use zh-tw for traditional Chinese, use zh-cn for simplified Chinese.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_localisation

In BCP47, it add script subtags use ISO 15924 code, so we can use use zh-Hant for traditional Chinese, use zh-Hans for simplified Chinese, and simple use zh for Chinese.

[michaelwittig]

I believe that switching from ISO 639-1 codes to BCP47 is more complicated.

zh, az and ar are not a valid "languages" according to https://www.iana.org/assignments/language-subtag-registry/language-subtag-registry They are macrolanguages.

zh should likely be changed zh-Hans
ar I have no idea
az I have no idea
...
the list continues

[fshiori]

need more work.

[williamli]

I think you can extend the current language code to use IETF language tags https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IETF_language_tag

en_us = US English
en_gb = UK English

zh_hk = Hong Kong Traditional Chinese
zh_tw = Taiwan Traditional Chinese
zh_cn = Mainland Simplified Chinese

[nathanaelmartin]

We need to distinguish :
zh-Hans : Simplified Chinese
zh-Hant : traditional Chinese