Arb string it is stored in the nested JSON format if using dots in keys

[Gallimathias]

Describe the issue

We use arb files and have changed the translation framework in our frontend.

The extracted keys for the translations now have a dot. Which is allowed according to the arb specification.

The problem is that now the arb files are exported in nested JSON format as already described in this bug #4779 here.

This is not forbidden for ARB per se, but unfortunately other frameworks cannot necessarily deal with it. So now we also have problems and are looking for a workaround for it

I already tried

• I've read and searched the documentation.
• I've searched for similar filed issues in this repository.

Steps to reproduce the behavior

Just use this arb file as import "Base file"

{
  "@@locale": "en-US",
  "@@author": "",
  "@@last_modified": "2024-11-12T10:08:42.7072397Z",
  "@@context": "",
  "app.page-title": "My Application",
  "@app.page-title": {
    "context": "#document:div:header:mat-toolbar:span:#text",
    "description": "some description"
  },
  "app.flights-label": "Flights",
  "@app.flights-label": {
    "context": "#document:div:header:mat-toolbar:span:#text",
    "description": "Flights"
  }
}

and as output translation you get this

{
  "@@locale": "de-DE",
  "@@author": "",
  "@@last_modified": "2024-11-12T10:08:42.7072397Z",
  "@@context": "",
  "app.page-title": "Meine Applikation",
  "app": {
    "@app.page-title": {
      "context": "#document:div:header:mat-toolbar:span:#text",
      "description": "some description"
    },
    "app.flights-label": "Flüge",
    "@app.flights-label": {
      "context": "#document:div:header:mat-toolbar:span:#text",
      "description": "Flights"
    }
  }
}

Expected behavior

The expection is that you have this as a base file

{
  "@@locale": "en-US",
  "@@author": "",
  "@@last_modified": "2024-11-12T10:08:42.7072397Z",
  "@@context": "",
  "app.page-title": "My Application",
  "@app.page-title": {
    "context": "#document:div:header:mat-toolbar:span:#text",
    "description": "some description"
  },
  "app.flights-label": "Flights",
  "@app.flights-label": {
    "context": "#document:div:header:mat-toolbar:span:#text",
    "description": "Flights"
  }
}

and this as a output file

{
  "@@locale": "de-DE",
  "@@author": "",
  "@@last_modified": "2024-11-12T10:08:42.7072397Z",
  "@@context": "",
  "app.page-title": "Meine Applikation",
  "@app.page-title": {
      "context": "#document:div:header:mat-toolbar:span:#text",
      "description": "some description"
    },
    "app.flights-label": "Flüge",
    "@app.flights-label": {
      "context": "#document:div:header:mat-toolbar:span:#text",
      "description": "Flights"
    }
}

Screenshots

No response

Exception traceback

No response

How do you run Weblate?

Docker container

Weblate versions

5.8.3

Weblate deploy checks

No response

Additional context

No response

[nijel]

Weblate shouldn't change the structure of existing files. Does this happen on editing?

[Gallimathias]

Weblate shouldn't change the structure of existing files. Does this happen on editing?

No matter if it's existing or not, the output arb files are always broken like in the example above. I guess the arb logic share code with the nested json code. That's why this behaviour happens.

Maybe the same fix as for #4779 is required. This pr solves the bug only for normal json outputs

[Gallimathias]

I try to fix it: translate/translate#5415 ^^. So maybe someone with more Phyton expirence can look into that :D

[nijel]

translate/translate#5415 is a good starting point (it will fix newly creates strings), but still, Weblate should not change structure upon editing, that needs additional investigation.