ARK2/Localization

From ARK
Jump to: navigation, search

Localization

Localization is the process of translating the user interface and data into the language and formats of the user.

ARK2 uses the following components for localization and translation:

Translation

  • Translations are stored in the core database
  • Translations are exported into XLIFF file format, allowing offline apps to download the full catalogue
  • Translations uses keys rather than source strings
  • Translations will be split in a number of catalogues:
    • Vocabulary
    • Core interface
    • User interface
    • Admin interface
    • Schema (one for each created)
  • Actor and User IDs are translated live using a custom loader from the database

The Admin Interface provides a basic interface for the maintaining of translation. Export and import interfaces are provided for the chosen online translation community.

Translation Workflow

Translation workflow will have two modes, Debug and Live.

  • In Debug mode, the database is the canonical source for translations
  • In Live mode, the XLIFF files are the canonical source

In Debug mode:

  • Translations can be disabled in the site.json file for testing or development purposes
  • Translations are loaded live from the database
  • Translation Admin page shows stats, allows editing of translations, and import/export to XLIFF (also to translation website)
  • Translation extractors can be run to extract the used keys from code files
  • Translations can be edited in the Translation Profiler page
    • Profiler bar shows translation stats for the page
    • Profiler page allows live editing of translations used on the page with persistence back to the database and flagging as fuzzy

In Live mode:

  • Translations are always active, sites.json disable is ignored
  • Translations are loaded from the XLIFF files, database is only used for Actors/Users
  • Translation Admin page is available, but changes do not take effect until exported to XLIFF

Development Required

No existing package supports our requirements so we will need to fork a number of existing projects (see below):

  • Translation extractors
  • Translation admin page
  • Translation Profiler page

Design Decisions To Be Made

Potential online portals include:

  • Transifex - Market leader, but now closed source, offers free hosting to open source projects, large community, great features and automated workflow, API, Github integration, etc.
  • Zanata - A Red Hat open-source project (in response to Transifex going closed) with free hosting and large existing community, or can be self-hosted (JBoss based), great features and automated workflow, API, Github integration, etc. No RTL?
  • Weblate - An open-source project with free and paid-for hosting, but no central community, or can be self-hosted, good features, API, Github integration, etc. Django based.
  • https://localise.biz/ Free or GBP5 p/m plan may be enough, good api, Symfony bundle
  • Translation Project - A FSF open-source project with free hosting and large existing community, but very basic features and manual workflow.
  • Pootle - An open-source project, self-hosted, Django based

Zanata would seem the preferred option for a hosted service, but Weblate might be better if self-hosting.

A number of options exist for automating extraction of Symfony translations, or for allowing interactive editing inside the admin panel or profiler panel:

None of these quite match our requirements, but may be adapted to achieve our workflow.

Translations in javascript: