Style all button names in text messages so they look like buttons

[scootergrisen]

It would be nice if in all strings that contain button names (that the user is told to press) is styled like a keyboard key/game pad button and not just appear as the rest of the text or with quotation around it.

Here are some current examples:

Press fire to start the tutorial
Press the 'Select' button to join the game
Oops! When you're in trouble, press <%s> to be rescued.
Accelerate with <%s>, and steer with <%s> and <%s>.

The placeholder %s is turned into e.g. Backspace or Up and looks like the text around it. No special styling.

I suggest using placeholders like %s instead of "fire" and "Select" so the button names are consistent everywhere and only have to be translated one time removing the chance that the button name is translated differently in different strings.

And not use < and > around the placeholders. But rather have the placeholder contain all styling for the button.

If currently it is too difficult to make the button names styled so they look like buttons/keys at least make them bold so they appear different than the sorrounding text.

Since the new styling would make it clear to the user it's a button we are talking about the "the ... button" can be removed:

Press the 'Select' button to join the game
Press 'Select' to join the game

Currently:

The future maybe:

[Alayan-stk-2]

I suggest using placeholders like %s instead of "fire" and "Select" so the button names are consistent everywhere and only have to be translated one time removing the chance that the button name is translated differently in different strings.

This may be problematic for translations in some language because the correct form of some words can depend on the context. Placeholders are unavoidable when using e.g. the player's name or when there is too many possible options, but they have limitations. There are already tools available in the translation platform that allow conscientious translators to ensure consistency.

[scootergrisen]

Here are the strings with "press":

Press the 'All players ready' button after the player list is ready.
Press fully and release...
When input devices are configured, select the 'Splitscreen Multiplayer' icon in the main menu. Each player can press the 'fire' key of their gamepad or keyboard to join the game, and use their input device to select their kart. The game continues when everyone selected their kart. Note that the mouse may not be used for this operation.
Use left/right to choose your team and press fire
Press the buttons 1+2 simultaneously on your wiimote to put it in discovery mode, then click on Ok. Detailed instructions at https://supertuxkart.net/Wiimote
Press player name in the list for player management and ranking information.
Press <%s> or <%s> to change the targeted player, <%s> or <%s> for the camera position.
Press any key...\n(Press ESC to cancel)
Press any key...
Everyone:\nPress the 'Select' button to join the game
Press podium icon to start tutorial
Press fire to start the tutorial
Press podium icon to start the challenge
Press fire to start the challenge
Press red or blue soccer icon to change team
Press <%s> to look behind.\nFire the weapon with <%s> while pressing <%s> to fire behind!
Press the mirror icon to look behind.\nFire the weapon behind by holding the mirror icon and then swiping to the bowling icon!
Oops! When you're in trouble, press <%s> to be rescued.
Oops! When you're in trouble, press the bird icon to be rescued.
Accelerate and press the <%s> key while turning to skid.\nSkidding for a short while can help you turn faster to take sharp turns.
Accelerate and press the skid icon while turning to skid.\nSkidding for a short while can help you turn faster to take sharp turns.
Press enter or double-click on a device to configure it
Left thumbstick press
Right thumbstick press

And more with "pressing"/"pressed"/"keypresses":

Collecting nitro allows you to get speed boosts whenever you wish by pressing the appropriate key or button. You can see your current level of nitro in the gauge at the bottom-right of the race screen.
You can skid by pressing a special key or button. Successive short skids help to take sharp turns; while medium skids will boost your speed, long skids more so. You can't stop turning while skidding, so orient your kart carefully before!
You can get a startup boost by pressing the accelerate button at 'Set!', before the race's start.
First, you will need several input devices. Use the input configuration screen to set them up. Multiple gamepads or joysticks are ideal: on keyboard(s), each player will need a different set of keys, and most keyboards are not appropriate for multiplayer because they don't support multiple simultaneous keypresses.
* Which config to use will be inferred from which 'Select' key is pressed to join the game.
New gamepads and joysticks will automatically appear in the list when you connect them to this device.\n\nTo add a keyboard config, you can use the button below, HOWEVER please note that most keyboards only support a limited amount of simultaneous keypresses and are thus inappropriate for multiplayer gameplay. (You can, however, connect multiple keyboards to this device. Remember that everyone still needs different keybindings in this case.)
Starting after %d second, or once everyone has pressed the 'Ready' button.
Starting after %d seconds, or once everyone has pressed the 'Ready' button.
Warning: The 'Shift' is not a recommended key. When 'Shift' is pressed down, all keys that contain a character that is different in upper-case will stop working.
Collect gift boxes, and fire by pressing the bowling icon to blow away these boxes!
Use the nitro you collected by pressing <%s>!
Use the nitro you collected by pressing the nitro icon

[scootergrisen]

This may be problematic for translations in some language because the correct form of some words can depend on the context. Placeholders are unavoidable when using e.g. the player's name or when there is too many possible options, but they have limitations. There are already tools available in the translation platform that allow conscientious translators to ensure consistency.

Can you give an example of a action like "Fire" not being called "Fire" where the user is told to push the button for that action?

Which tools?
I don't see any tools on Transifex that allows the translators to know that "fire" or "Select" should be translated a certain way like it was in another string.

[scootergrisen]

Currently this is how an action/button name like 'Select' in the following string is being translated.

Press the 'Select' button to join the game

Since ' and ' is part of the string given to translators they are able to change the styling.

\"Select\"
„Одабери“
\"Välj\"
“选择”
「選擇」
«Абраць»
„Избиране“
'Vælg'-knappen
„Auswählen“-Knopf
« Sélection »
„kiválasztás\"
«Velg»-knappen
‘Selecteren’

In one language <%s> is changed to «%s».

The string "Press fire to start the tutorial" have no styling but some translators decide to make they own styling of the word fire like:

« tirer »
“loisg”
'fuoco'
...etc.