Q:

Django makemessages for apps in site-packages

How can I collect translation strings outside of my project folder using Django's built-in makemessages facility?  The management command makemessages is very convenient and I'd like to use it for applications located in site-packages. 

A:

(1) Activate a virtual environment where Django is installed. 
(2) Go directory of the app for which you want the messages to be generated:
$ cd path/to/app/in/site/packages/

(3) Make sure it has "locale" directory.  If not - make one. 
$ mkdir locale

(4) From your app directory run the following command:
$ django-admin.py makemessages -l [LANGUAGE_CODE]

Example for Dutch:
$ django-admin.py makemessages -l nl

Example for Russian:
$ django-admin.py makemessages -l ru

A:

Other than makemessages I found PyBabel very useful.  Here is a bind to Django itself: http://babel.edgewall.org/wiki/BabelDjango

