openclaw-i18n

# openclaw-i18n — Internationalization Layer for OpenClaw ## What This Skill Does OpenClaw is a powerful AI agent framework — but by default, models generate output that often has wrong diacritics, mixed languages, or mechanically garbled text when users communicate in non-English languages. This skill fixes that with two layers: **Layer 1 — SKILL.md:** Configures the agent to think and respond correctly in the user's language. Language detection, diacritics enforcement, locale formatting, cultural communication norms. **Layer 2 — Post-Processor:** A Python script that mechanically cleans the model's raw output before it reaches the user. This is the unique part — no other ClawHub skill does this. It catches the specific mechanical errors that models reliably produce on non-English text: missing diacritics, stray Chinese/Russian characters, merged words, common typos. --- ## Language Detection ### How It Works - Auto-detect user language from conversation context - Signals: explicit language statements, user names, place references, writing style, diacritic usage - Confidence scoring — if below 80%, ask the user to confirm ### Supported Languages | Language | Code | Status | Diacritics | Launch | |----------|------|--------|------------|--------| | Romanian | ro | Stable | ă â î ș ț | v1.0 | | German | de | Stable | ü ö ä ß | v1.0 | | French | fr | Planned | à â ç é è ê ë î ï ô û ü | v1.1 | | Spanish | es | Planned | á é í ó ú ñ ü ¿ ¡ | v1.1 | | Italian | it | Planned | à è é ì ò ó ù | v1.2 | | Portuguese | pt | Planned | à á â ã ç é ê í ó ô õ ú | v1.2 | English (en) is always the fallback when detection fails. ### Configuration Commands ``` User: "Set language to Romanian" → sets active language to RO User: "Setează limba la română" → same User: "Stelle Sprache auf Deutsch" → sets active language to DE User: "Reset language to auto-detect" → reverts to auto-detection ``` Configuration persists across sessions via OpenClaw memory tools. --- ## Output Rules ### Language Enforcement - **Always respond in the detected or configured language** - Never switch languages mid-response without explicit reason - If a user writes in Romanian, respond in Romanian — never English - If a user writes in German, respond in German — never English ### Character Rules - **Never output Chinese, Russian, Arabic, or non-Latin characters** in non-intentional contexts. Stray characters that appear in Romanian or German output are model errors — the post-processor removes them. - **Words are always separated by correct spaces** — never merge two words into one. Example: "sivei" should never appear as "știu" split wrongly. - **Always use correct diacritics** for the active language ### Diacritics — Never Approximate **Romanian:** ă â î ș ț — always correct, never write "s" instead of "ș" or "t" instead of "ț" in Romanian words. **German:** ü ö ä ß — never substitute with "ue", "oe", "ae" unless user explicitly asks for old spelling. ### What NOT To Do - No filler phrases: "Desigur!", "Absolut!", "With pleasure!" - No language mixing: English sentence fragments in a Romanian response - No transliteration of diacritics: never write "sch" for "ș" in Romanian - No "obviously", "of course", "as you know" — condescending patterns --- ## Locale-Specific Formatting ### Romanian (RO) | Element | Format | |------------|---------------------------------| | Date | 15 martie 2026 | | Currency | 150 lei / 30 euro / 29,99 € | | Phone | +40 734 270 188 / 0721 234 567 | | Address | Strada Victoriei nr. 10, București | ### German (DE) | Element | Format | |------------|---------------------------------| | Date | 15. März 2026 / 15.03.2026 | | Currency | 29,99 € / 150 € | | Phone | +49 30 12345678 / 0171 2345678 | | Address | Hauptstraße 10, 10115 Berlin | --- ## Cultural Communication Norms ### German (DE) — Formal by Default - Use **Sie** (capitalized) unless the user explicitly switches to **du** - Formal address: "Sie" not "du", "Ihnen" not "dir" - Titles: Herr, Frau, Dr. are relevant in professional contexts - Email tone: structured, clear subject lines, bullet points appreciated - When in doubt: over-formal beats casual ### Romanian (RO) — Warm but Professional - First name basis is standard once rapport is established - Direct communication — say what you mean - Professional but not stiff — Romanians appreciate warmth - Avoid: excessive formality, bureaucratic language, impersonal templates --- ## Post-Processor Integration The `i18n_processor.py` script runs after the model generates output and before it reaches the user. This is critical — it fixes mechanical errors that slip through even when the model "knows" the correct form. ### What the Post-Processor Fixes (deterministic, high-confidence): 1. **Missing diacritics** in common words (RO: "vrau"→"vreau", DE: "Mueller"→"Müller") 2. **Stray non-Latin characters** — single Chinese/Russian chars inserted by M2.7 3. **Merged words** — obvious cases where two words lost their space 4. **Whitespace errors** — double spaces, trailing/leading spaces 5. **Common typos** — model-specific patterns that are consistent and fixable ### What the Post-Processor Does NOT Fix: - Grammar errors requiring context understanding - Wrong word choice (semantic errors) - Stylistic improvements - Sentence structure problems ### Integration Instructions The agent should pipe output through the processor: ```python from i18n_processor import process cleaned = process(raw_output, language_code) # send 'cleaned' to user ``` ### Invoking from SKILL.md Context When this skill is active, every model response should be treated as raw output and passed through `process(response, detected_language)` before delivery. The agent never sees this step — it's transparent to the user. --- ## Configuration Memory Language preference is stored via OpenClaw memory tools: - Key: `i18n_language` — the active language code (e.g., "ro", "de") - Key: `i18n_mode` — "auto" or "manual" - Key: `i18n_detection_confidence` — last confidence score (0.0–1.0) When `i18n_mode` is "auto", the agent re-evaluates language on each session start but respects manual overrides until reset. --- ## Quick Reference | Command | Effect | |---------|--------| | "Set language to Romanian" | Lock to RO | | "Setează limba la română" | Lock to RO | | "Stelle Sprache auf Deutsch" | Lock to DE | | "Reset language to auto-detect" | Back to auto | | Symbol | Meaning | |--------|---------| | ă â î ș ț | Romanian diacritics | | ü ö ä ß | German diacritics | | 🌐 | Language indicator | | 🌍 | i18n skill active | --- ## Error Handling If the post-processor encounters ambiguous text: - **Do not change** if confidence < 95% - Log the case for review - Never risk a false positive that makes output worse Rule: The cost of a missed diacritic is lower than the cost of a wrong one.