string-resource-inline-comments

name: string-resource-inline-comments description: 'Audit Android strings.xml files so every resource has an inline XML comment for POEditor translator context. Use when adding or editing string resources, documenting placeholders, reviewing localization context, or fixing uncommented strings after feature work.'

Skill: Inline Comments for Android String Resources

Use this skill when the task is not just naming strings correctly, but making sure translators get enough context from the XML comments that sit directly above each resource block.

When to Use

• Adding new entries to any strings.xml file.
• Editing existing Android string resources during feature work.
• Reviewing PRs for missing translator context.
• Cleaning up files where new strings were added without comments.
• Tightening repo guidance after a missed comment or localization regression.

Outcome

• Every touched resource block in strings.xml has an immediate XML comment.
• Comments explain where the text appears, what it does, and what placeholders mean.
• Repo-level instructions and skills are updated when the gap came from unclear guidance.

For Android platform behavior such as escaping, formatting, arrays, plurals, and styled text, also consult the official Android guidance: https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/resources/string-resource

Procedure

1. Open the touched strings.xml file and inspect every resource element that was added or modified in this edit.
2. Add an XML comment immediately above each touched resource element.
3. Write comments for translators, not engineers.
4. Explain placeholders such as %1$s or %2$d, plus any tone or space constraints.
5. Write one comment per resource element; do not reuse one comment for multiple resources.
6. Re-read the edited section and confirm no new resource was left uncommented.
7. If repo guidance was the root cause, stop after fixing the XML comments and update the relevant instruction or this skill in a separate follow-up change.

When Repo Guidance Is the Root Cause

• Use this section only when the current XML edit is correct but the instruction set was too weak to make the correct behavior obvious.
• Keep the follow-up update minimal: clarify the specific rule that failed, do not rewrite the whole skill, and do not mix the documentation fix into the XML comment pass.

Comment Patterns

<!-- Button label to retry the failed episode feed request -->
<string name="action_episode_retry">Retry</string>

<!-- Empty-state title shown when no episode releases are available -->
<string name="label_episode_empty_title">No episodes found</string>

<!-- Fallback shown when no summary exists; %1$s is the episode title -->
<string name="message_episode_no_summary" formatted="true">No summary available for %1$s at this time.</string>

Quality Gates

• Every touched resource block has a comment directly above it.
• Comments mention screen, state, or interaction context.
• Placeholder variables are documented.
• Android-specific escaping or plural behavior is checked when the text uses those features.
• Comments are concise but specific enough for POEditor translators.
• XML remains cleanly formatted and easy to scan.

Common Failure Modes

• Adding a batch of strings and commenting only the first one.
• Leaving a legacy string undocumented because it was already in the file.
• Forgetting that plurals and string-array blocks also need translator context.
• Writing comments like "String for button" that give no usable localization context.