diff --git a/i18n.py b/i18n.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..02fdea6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/i18n.py
@@ -0,0 +1,448 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+#
+# Script to generate the template file and update the translation files.
+# Copy the script into the mod or modpack root folder and run it there.
+#
+# Copyright (C) 2019 Joachim Stolberg, 2020 FaceDeer, 2020 Louis Royer
+# LGPLv2.1+
+#
+# See https://github.com/minetest-tools/update_translations for
+# potential future updates to this script.
+
+from __future__ import print_function
+import os, fnmatch, re, shutil, errno
+from sys import argv as _argv
+from sys import stderr as _stderr
+
+# Running params
+params = {"recursive": False,
+    "help": False,
+    "mods": False,
+    "verbose": False,
+    "folders": [],
+    "no-old-file": False
+}
+# Available CLI options
+options = {"recursive": ['--recursive', '-r'],
+    "help": ['--help', '-h'],
+    "mods": ['--installed-mods'],
+    "verbose": ['--verbose', '-v'],
+    "no-old-file": ['--no-old-file']
+}
+
+# Strings longer than this will have extra space added between
+# them in the translation files to make it easier to distinguish their
+# beginnings and endings at a glance
+doublespace_threshold = 60
+
+def set_params_folders(tab: list):
+    '''Initialize params["folders"] from CLI arguments.'''
+    # Discarding argument 0 (tool name)
+    for param in tab[1:]:
+        stop_param = False
+        for option in options:
+            if param in options[option]:
+                stop_param = True
+                break
+        if not stop_param:
+            params["folders"].append(os.path.abspath(param))
+
+def set_params(tab: list):
+    '''Initialize params from CLI arguments.'''
+    for option in options:
+        for option_name in options[option]:
+            if option_name in tab:
+                params[option] = True
+                break
+
+def print_help(name):
+    '''Prints some help message.'''
+    print(f'''SYNOPSIS
+    {name} [OPTIONS] [PATHS...]
+DESCRIPTION
+    {', '.join(options["help"])}
+        prints this help message
+    {', '.join(options["recursive"])}
+        run on all subfolders of paths given
+    {', '.join(options["mods"])}
+        run on locally installed modules
+    {', '.join(options["no-old-file"])}
+        do not create *.old files
+    {', '.join(options["verbose"])}
+        add output information
+''')
+
+
+def main():
+    '''Main function'''
+    set_params(_argv)
+    set_params_folders(_argv)
+    if params["help"]:
+        print_help(_argv[0])
+    elif params["recursive"] and params["mods"]:
+        print("Option --installed-mods is incompatible with --recursive")
+    else:
+        # Add recursivity message
+        print("Running ", end='')
+        if params["recursive"]:
+            print("recursively ", end='')
+        # Running
+        if params["mods"]:
+            print(f"on all locally installed modules in {os.path.abspath('~/.minetest/mods/')}")
+            run_all_subfolders("~/.minetest/mods")
+        elif len(params["folders"]) >= 2:
+            print("on folder list:", params["folders"])
+            for f in params["folders"]:
+                if params["recursive"]:
+                    run_all_subfolders(f)
+                else:
+                    update_folder(f)
+        elif len(params["folders"]) == 1:
+            print("on folder", params["folders"][0])
+            if params["recursive"]:
+                run_all_subfolders(params["folders"][0])
+            else:
+                update_folder(params["folders"][0])
+        else:
+            print("on folder", os.path.abspath("./"))
+            if params["recursive"]:
+                run_all_subfolders(os.path.abspath("./"))
+            else:
+                update_folder(os.path.abspath("./"))
+
+#group 2 will be the string, groups 1 and 3 will be the delimiters (" or ')
+#See https://stackoverflow.com/questions/46967465/regex-match-text-in-either-single-or-double-quote
+pattern_lua_s = re.compile(r'[\.=^\t,{\(\s]N?S\(\s*(["\'])((?:\\\1|(?:(?!\1)).)*)(\1)[\s,\)]', re.DOTALL)
+pattern_lua_fs = re.compile(r'[\.=^\t,{\(\s]N?FS\(\s*(["\'])((?:\\\1|(?:(?!\1)).)*)(\1)[\s,\)]', re.DOTALL)
+pattern_lua_bracketed_s = re.compile(r'[\.=^\t,{\(\s]N?S\(\s*\[\[(.*?)\]\][\s,\)]', re.DOTALL)
+pattern_lua_bracketed_fs = re.compile(r'[\.=^\t,{\(\s]N?FS\(\s*\[\[(.*?)\]\][\s,\)]', re.DOTALL)
+
+# Handles "concatenation" .. " of strings"
+pattern_concat = re.compile(r'["\'][\s]*\.\.[\s]*["\']', re.DOTALL)
+
+pattern_tr = re.compile(r'(.*?[^@])=(.*)')
+pattern_name = re.compile(r'^name[ ]*=[ ]*([^ \n]*)')
+pattern_tr_filename = re.compile(r'\.tr$')
+pattern_po_language_code = re.compile(r'(.*)\.po$')
+
+#attempt to read the mod's name from the mod.conf file. Returns None on failure
+def get_modname(folder):
+    try:
+        with open(os.path.join(folder, "mod.conf"), "r", encoding='utf-8') as mod_conf:
+            for line in mod_conf:
+                match = pattern_name.match(line)
+                if match:
+                    return match.group(1)
+    except FileNotFoundError:
+        pass
+    return None
+
+#If there are already .tr files in /locale, returns a list of their names
+def get_existing_tr_files(folder):
+    out = []
+    for root, dirs, files in os.walk(os.path.join(folder, 'locale/')):
+        for name in files:
+            if pattern_tr_filename.search(name):
+                out.append(name)
+    return out
+
+# A series of search and replaces that massage a .po file's contents into
+# a .tr file's equivalent
+def process_po_file(text):
+    # The first three items are for unused matches
+    text = re.sub(r'#~ msgid "', "", text)
+    text = re.sub(r'"\n#~ msgstr ""\n"', "=", text)
+    text = re.sub(r'"\n#~ msgstr "', "=", text)
+    # comment lines
+    text = re.sub(r'#.*\n', "", text)
+    # converting msg pairs into "=" pairs
+    text = re.sub(r'msgid "', "", text)
+    text = re.sub(r'"\nmsgstr ""\n"', "=", text)
+    text = re.sub(r'"\nmsgstr "', "=", text)
+    # various line breaks and escape codes
+    text = re.sub(r'"\n"', "", text)
+    text = re.sub(r'"\n', "\n", text)
+    text = re.sub(r'\\"', '"', text)
+    text = re.sub(r'\\n', '@n', text)
+    # remove header text
+    text = re.sub(r'=Project-Id-Version:.*\n', "", text)
+    # remove double-spaced lines
+    text = re.sub(r'\n\n', '\n', text)
+    return text
+
+# Go through existing .po files and, if a .tr file for that language
+# *doesn't* exist, convert it and create it.
+# The .tr file that results will subsequently be reprocessed so
+# any "no longer used" strings will be preserved.
+# Note that "fuzzy" tags will be lost in this process.
+def process_po_files(folder, modname):
+    for root, dirs, files in os.walk(os.path.join(folder, 'locale/')):
+        for name in files:
+            code_match = pattern_po_language_code.match(name)
+            if code_match == None:
+                continue
+            language_code = code_match.group(1)
+            tr_name = modname + "." + language_code + ".tr"
+            tr_file = os.path.join(root, tr_name)
+            if os.path.exists(tr_file):
+                if params["verbose"]:
+                    print(f"{tr_name} already exists, ignoring {name}")
+                continue
+            fname = os.path.join(root, name)
+            with open(fname, "r", encoding='utf-8') as po_file:
+                if params["verbose"]:
+                    print(f"Importing translations from {name}")
+                text = process_po_file(po_file.read())
+                with open(tr_file, "wt", encoding='utf-8') as tr_out:
+                    tr_out.write(text)
+
+# from https://stackoverflow.com/questions/600268/mkdir-p-functionality-in-python/600612#600612
+# Creates a directory if it doesn't exist, silently does
+# nothing if it already exists
+def mkdir_p(path):
+    try:
+        os.makedirs(path)
+    except OSError as exc: # Python >2.5
+        if exc.errno == errno.EEXIST and os.path.isdir(path):
+            pass
+        else: raise
+
+# Converts the template dictionary to a text to be written as a file
+# dKeyStrings is a dictionary of localized string to source file sets
+# dOld is a dictionary of existing translations and comments from
+# the previous version of this text
+def strings_to_text(dkeyStrings, dOld, mod_name, header_comments):
+    lOut = [f"# textdomain: {mod_name}\n"]
+    if header_comments is not None:
+        lOut.append(header_comments)
+    
+    dGroupedBySource = {}
+
+    for key in dkeyStrings:
+        sourceList = list(dkeyStrings[key])
+        sourceList.sort()
+        sourceString = "\n".join(sourceList)
+        listForSource = dGroupedBySource.get(sourceString, [])
+        listForSource.append(key)
+        dGroupedBySource[sourceString] = listForSource
+    
+    lSourceKeys = list(dGroupedBySource.keys())
+    lSourceKeys.sort()
+    for source in lSourceKeys:
+        localizedStrings = dGroupedBySource[source]
+        localizedStrings.sort()
+        lOut.append("")
+        lOut.append(source)
+        lOut.append("")
+        for localizedString in localizedStrings:
+            val = dOld.get(localizedString, {})
+            translation = val.get("translation", "")
+            comment = val.get("comment")
+            if len(localizedString) > doublespace_threshold and not lOut[-1] == "":
+                lOut.append("")
+            if comment != None:
+                lOut.append(comment)
+            lOut.append(f"{localizedString}={translation}")
+            if len(localizedString) > doublespace_threshold:
+                lOut.append("")
+
+
+    unusedExist = False
+    for key in dOld:
+        if key not in dkeyStrings:
+            val = dOld[key]
+            translation = val.get("translation")
+            comment = val.get("comment")
+            # only keep an unused translation if there was translated
+            # text or a comment associated with it
+            if translation != None and (translation != "" or comment):
+                if not unusedExist:
+                    unusedExist = True
+                    lOut.append("\n\n##### not used anymore #####\n")
+                if len(key) > doublespace_threshold and not lOut[-1] == "":
+                    lOut.append("")
+                if comment != None:
+                    lOut.append(comment)
+                lOut.append(f"{key}={translation}")
+                if len(key) > doublespace_threshold:
+                    lOut.append("")
+    return "\n".join(lOut) + '\n'
+
+# Writes a template.txt file
+# dkeyStrings is the dictionary returned by generate_template
+def write_template(templ_file, dkeyStrings, mod_name):
+    # read existing template file to preserve comments
+    existing_template = import_tr_file(templ_file)
+    
+    text = strings_to_text(dkeyStrings, existing_template[0], mod_name, existing_template[2])
+    mkdir_p(os.path.dirname(templ_file))
+    with open(templ_file, "wt", encoding='utf-8') as template_file:
+        template_file.write(text)
+
+
+# Gets all translatable strings from a lua file
+def read_lua_file_strings(lua_file):
+    lOut = []
+    with open(lua_file, encoding='utf-8') as text_file:
+        text = text_file.read()
+        #TODO remove comments here
+
+        text = re.sub(pattern_concat, "", text)
+
+        strings = []
+        for s in pattern_lua_s.findall(text):
+            strings.append(s[1])
+        for s in pattern_lua_bracketed_s.findall(text):
+            strings.append(s)
+        for s in pattern_lua_fs.findall(text):
+            strings.append(s[1])
+        for s in pattern_lua_bracketed_fs.findall(text):
+            strings.append(s)
+                
+        for s in strings:
+            s = re.sub(r'"\.\.\s+"', "", s)
+            s = re.sub("@[^@=0-9]", "@@", s)
+            s = s.replace('\\"', '"')
+            s = s.replace("\\'", "'")
+            s = s.replace("\n", "@n")
+            s = s.replace("\\n", "@n")
+            s = s.replace("=", "@=")
+            lOut.append(s)
+    return lOut
+
+# Gets strings from an existing translation file
+# returns both a dictionary of translations
+# and the full original source text so that the new text
+# can be compared to it for changes.
+# Returns also header comments in the third return value.
+def import_tr_file(tr_file):
+    dOut = {}
+    text = None
+    header_comment = None
+    if os.path.exists(tr_file):
+        with open(tr_file, "r", encoding='utf-8') as existing_file :
+            # save the full text to allow for comparison
+            # of the old version with the new output
+            text = existing_file.read()
+            existing_file.seek(0)
+            # a running record of the current comment block
+            # we're inside, to allow preceeding multi-line comments
+            # to be retained for a translation line
+            latest_comment_block = None
+            for line in existing_file.readlines():
+                line = line.rstrip('\n')
+                if line[:3] == "###":
+                    if header_comment is None:
+                        # Save header comments
+                        header_comment = latest_comment_block
+                        # Stip textdomain line
+                        tmp_h_c = ""
+                        for l in header_comment.split('\n'):
+                            if not l.startswith("# textdomain:"):
+                                tmp_h_c += l + '\n'
+                        header_comment = tmp_h_c
+
+                    # Reset comment block if we hit a header
+                    latest_comment_block = None
+                    continue
+                if line[:1] == "#":
+                    # Save the comment we're inside
+                    if not latest_comment_block:
+                        latest_comment_block = line
+                    else:
+                        latest_comment_block = latest_comment_block + "\n" + line
+                    continue
+                match = pattern_tr.match(line)
+                if match:
+                    # this line is a translated line
+                    outval = {}
+                    outval["translation"] = match.group(2)
+                    if latest_comment_block:
+                        # if there was a comment, record that.
+                        outval["comment"] = latest_comment_block
+                    latest_comment_block = None
+                    dOut[match.group(1)] = outval
+    return (dOut, text, header_comment)
+
+# Walks all lua files in the mod folder, collects translatable strings,
+# and writes it to a template.txt file
+# Returns a dictionary of localized strings to source file sets
+# that can be used with the strings_to_text function.
+def generate_template(folder, mod_name):
+    dOut = {}
+    for root, dirs, files in os.walk(folder):
+        for name in files:
+            if fnmatch.fnmatch(name, "*.lua"):
+                fname = os.path.join(root, name)
+                found = read_lua_file_strings(fname)
+                if params["verbose"]:
+                    print(f"{fname}: {str(len(found))} translatable strings")
+
+                for s in found:
+                    sources = dOut.get(s, set())
+                    sources.add(f"### {os.path.basename(fname)} ###")
+                    dOut[s] = sources
+                    
+    if len(dOut) == 0:
+        return None
+    templ_file = os.path.join(folder, "locale/template.txt")
+    write_template(templ_file, dOut, mod_name)
+    return dOut
+
+# Updates an existing .tr file, copying the old one to a ".old" file
+# if any changes have happened
+# dNew is the data used to generate the template, it has all the
+# currently-existing localized strings
+def update_tr_file(dNew, mod_name, tr_file):
+    if params["verbose"]:
+        print(f"updating {tr_file}")
+
+    tr_import = import_tr_file(tr_file)
+    dOld = tr_import[0]
+    textOld = tr_import[1]
+
+    textNew = strings_to_text(dNew, dOld, mod_name, tr_import[2])
+
+    if textOld and textOld != textNew:
+        print(f"{tr_file} has changed.")
+        if not params["no-old-file"]:
+            shutil.copyfile(tr_file, f"{tr_file}.old")
+
+    with open(tr_file, "w", encoding='utf-8') as new_tr_file:
+        new_tr_file.write(textNew)
+
+# Updates translation files for the mod in the given folder
+def update_mod(folder):
+    modname = get_modname(folder)
+    if modname is not None:
+        process_po_files(folder, modname)
+        print(f"Updating translations for {modname}")
+        data = generate_template(folder, modname)
+        if data == None:
+            print(f"No translatable strings found in {modname}")
+        else:
+            for tr_file in get_existing_tr_files(folder):
+                update_tr_file(data, modname, os.path.join(folder, "locale/", tr_file))
+    else:
+        print(f"\033[31mUnable to find modname in folder {folder}.\033[0m", file=_stderr)
+        exit(1)
+
+# Determines if the folder being pointed to is a mod or a mod pack
+# and then runs update_mod accordingly
+def update_folder(folder):
+    is_modpack = os.path.exists(os.path.join(folder, "modpack.txt")) or os.path.exists(os.path.join(folder, "modpack.conf"))
+    if is_modpack:
+        subfolders = [f.path for f in os.scandir(folder) if f.is_dir()]
+        for subfolder in subfolders:
+            update_mod(subfolder + "/")
+    else:
+        update_mod(folder)
+    print("Done.")
+
+def run_all_subfolders(folder):
+    for modfolder in [f.path for f in os.scandir(folder) if f.is_dir()]:
+        update_folder(modfolder + "/")
+
+
+main()
diff --git a/locale/template.txt b/locale/template.txt
index 02795d2..5dee8bd 100644
--- a/locale/template.txt
+++ b/locale/template.txt
@@ -1,2 +1,8 @@
+# textdomain: bell
+
+
+### init.lua ###
+
+# ../bell/init.lua
 Bell=
-Small bell=
\ No newline at end of file
+Small bell=