Extract and translate

i18n-extract --locales en,zh          # writes messages/messages.pot + zh.po
i18n-extract --locales en,zh --check  # CI: exit 1 when stale or untranslated
i18n-compile --locales en,zh --outdir out --format json   # optional JSON/JS export

The .po files are the source of truth — the bundler plugins read them directly, no compile step in between. Editing a message file in dev triggers a full reload. An extract run never reduces the number of translations; if it would, it refuses and asks for --force.

Fuzzy and validation

Fuzzy translations do not build — standard gettext behaviour. A carried-over translation stays in the catalog marked fuzzy, the message falls back to the base locale, and the build reports it as missing until someone reviews it. A translation whose {0}/<0> placeholders do not match the source is a build error naming the file, locale and message; i18n-extract reports the same mismatch when it merges, so a bad TMS import is visible before anyone builds. Comments, flags, plural entries and headers written by translators or a TMS survive a rewrite untouched.

Re-exported macros

from/hookFrom match import specifiers as written in the source, so if you re-export the macros, list your module path in the plugin options. The extractor has the matching --hook/--hook-from flags.