How to localize the SUMO interface
Revision Information
- Revision id: 97545
- Created:
- Creator: ideato
- Comment: fix continuously of numbers :-)
- Reviewed: Yes
- Reviewed:
- Reviewed by: vesper
- Is approved? Yes
- Is current revision? No
- Ready for localization: No
Revision Source
Revision Content
Table of Contents
What are UI strings?
Each element of the SUMO site interface that is text, but not the help content itself - all the buttons and navigation links. The text of each such element is a "string".
We currently have two servers for SUMO:
- https://support.mozilla.org - our real server, also known as "prod" (short for "production")
- https://support.allizom.org - out testing server
The strings you translate on Verbatim are automatically transferred to the testing server, where you can see them in action. The prod(uction) server receives new strings once a week.
Where can I localize strings?
The tool that's used to localize UI strings for SUMO Verbatim - https://localize.mozilla.org/projects/sumo. If you need an introduction into Verbatim, please read . As always, if you have any questions about Verbatim or support localization, just contact [Michał].
- For more information about Verbatim, read Localizing with Verbatim on MDN.
Basic Translation Workflow in Verbatim
Register or log in
The Mozilla Verbatim site is located at http://localize.mozilla.org. If you have a Mozilla LDAP account you can just log in with your LDAP username and password. Otherwise, you'll have to register for an account before you can login.
Navigate to untranslated strings
- Go to the SUMO project at http://localize.mozilla.org/projects/sumo.
- Click on your language in the overview tab.
- Then click on the Translate tab. It will show a directory listing.
- Click on the LC Messages directory (that's where the messages.po file is located).
- You will now see an overview of the messages.po file. In the summary column the number of words untranslated will be shown as a link. Click that link to be taken directly to the first string that needs to be translated.
Using Verbatim to translate strings
- When you are editing a string, just type your translation in the box to the left of the English string.
- Click Suggest. If you are an Approver, you can instead click Submit. You will then be taken to the next string that needs translating.
Verbatim tips & tricks
- You can copy the English string over to the translation box by clicking the Copy button.
- You can move forward and back through the strings by clicking the Skip and Back buttons.
- You can navigate directly to a particular string by clicking its string number on the far left.
- You can mark a translation as Fuzzy if you think there could be a better way to say something. This will make it easier to find and update later.
- You can add notes about a particular string in the Translator Comments section.
- When translating a string with both singular and plural forms, you will see two boxes on the right hand side. The box for the singular form is labeled Plural Form 0 and the box for the plural form is labeled Plural Form 1.
Tasks for people with Approver privileges
Review suggested strings
- Click on the Review tab. It will show how many strings are waiting for review under the messages.po file.
- Click on the suggestions link and it will take you to the first string that needs to be reviewed.
- You can accept the suggestion by clicking the green checkmark.
- You can reject the suggestion by clicking the red X.
Commit to VCS to publish your changes
Once you've translated some strings, you can push them to the VCS.
- Click on the Translate tab and click the "Commit to VCS" link under the message.po file.
Edit messages.po in an external application
- Once you log in, click on your language in the overview tab.
- Then click on the Translate tab.
- To download messages.po click the download link under the file listing.
- Once you've finished your edits, you'll need to upload your file to VCS.
- Click "Browse..." and select your file.
- Choose an upload setting:
- Overwrite the current file if it exists.
- Merge the file with the current file and turn conflicts into suggestions.
- Add all new translations as suggestions.
- Finally, click Upload.