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l10n: docs: add AGENTS.md with update POT instructions
Add a new documentation file po/AGENTS.md that provides agent-specific instructions for generating or updating po/git.pot, separating them from the general po/README.md. This separation allows for more targeted optimization of AI agent workflows. Performance evaluation with the Qwen model: # Before: No agent-specific instructions; use po/README.md for # reference. git-po-helper agent-test --runs=5 --agent=qwen update-pot \ --prompt="Update po/git.pot according to po/README.md" # Phase 1: add the instructions to po/README.md; the prompt # references po/README.md during execution git-po-helper agent-test --runs=5 --agent=qwen update-pot \ --prompt="Update po/git.pot according to po/README.md" # Phase 2: add the instructions to po/AGENTS.md; use the built-in # prompt that references po/AGENTS.md during execution git-po-helper agent-test --runs=5 --agent=qwen update-pot Benchmark results (5-run average): Phase 1 - Optimizing po/README.md: | Metric | Before | Phase 1 | Improvement | |-------------|---------|---------|-------------| | Turns | 17 | 5 | -71% | | Exec. time | 34s | 14s | -59% | | Turn range | 3-36 | 3-7 | | | Time range | 10s-59s | 9s-19s | | Phase 2 - Adding po/AGENTS.md (further optimization): | Metric | Before | Phase 2 | Improvement | |-------------|---------|---------|-------------| | Turns | 17 | 3 | -82% | | Exec. time | 34s | 8s | -76% | | Turn range | 3-36 | 3-3 | | | Time range | 10s-59s | 6s-9s | | Separating agent-specific instructions into AGENTS.md provides: - More focused and concise instructions for AI agents - Cleaner README.md for human readers - An additional 11% reduction in turns and 17% reduction in execution time - More consistent behavior (turn range reduced from 3-7 to 3-3) Signed-off-by: Jiang Xin <worldhello.net@gmail.com>
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# Instructions for AI Agents
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This file gives specific instructions for AI agents that perform
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housekeeping tasks for Git l10n. Use of AI is optional; many successful
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l10n teams work well without it.
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The section "Housekeeping tasks for localization workflows" documents the
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most commonly used housekeeping tasks.
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## Background knowledge for localization workflows
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Essential background for the workflows below; understand these concepts before
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performing any housekeeping tasks in this document.
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### Language code and notation (XX, ll, ll\_CC)
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**XX** is a placeholder for the language code: either `ll` (ISO 639) or
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`ll_CC` (e.g. `de`, `zh_CN`). It appears in the PO file header metadata
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(e.g. `"Language: zh_CN\n"`) and is typically used to name the PO file:
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`po/XX.po`.
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### Header Entry
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The **header entry** is the first entry in every `po/XX.po`. It has an empty
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`msgid`; translation metadata (project, language, plural rules, encoding, etc.)
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is stored in `msgstr`, as in this example:
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```po
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msgid ""
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msgstr ""
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"Project-Id-Version: Git\n"
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"Language: zh_CN\n"
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"MIME-Version: 1.0\n"
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"Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8\n"
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"Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit\n"
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"Plural-Forms: nplurals=2; plural=(n != 1);\n"
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```
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**CRITICAL**: Do not edit the header's `msgstr` while translating. It holds
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metadata only and must be left unchanged.
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## Housekeeping tasks for localization workflows
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For common housekeeping tasks, follow the steps in the matching subsection
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below.
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### Task 1: Generating or updating po/git.pot
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When asked to generate or update `po/git.pot` (or the like):
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1. **Directly execute** the command `make po/git.pot` without checking
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if the file exists beforehand.
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2. **Do not verify** the generated file after execution. Simply run the
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command and consider the task complete.
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## Human translators remain in control
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Git translation is human-driven; language team leaders and contributors are
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responsible for maintaining translation quality and consistency.
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AI-generated output should always be treated as drafts that must be reviewed
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and approved by someone who understands both the technical context and the
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target language. The best results come from combining AI efficiency with human
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judgment, cultural insight, and community engagement.

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