I18N - Translation Best Practises?

[Former Member]

Hi.

I always wanted to ask this, now my level of desperation is high enough again. Are there any translation best practises?

Background: I've developed countless multi-language applications on NW2004s (7.0).

I always tried to do the translation job at the end of the development phase, because I have the following pain points:

1) Initial translation is easy (but really a joke): copy xlf file, rename it, translate contents, etc. That's fine. But if I add further elements, e.g. adding some UI elements to a view's layout, it's pain to add the deltas to the other xlf files. There is no automated way of adding the missing keys, at least I do not know a tool for eclipse. Is there one? Does SAP plan to provide such a tool? What's your best practise when it comes to translation of deltas?

2) What I do is the following: I check out all xlf files and their corresponding property bundles (for what are they checked in anyways?), add the missing keys to all xlf files and generate the property bundles with right mouse click -> I18N tools -> Create properties file

When I rebuild the web dynpro and test it, I often get a wild mixture of e.g. english and german texts on the same view. Even if all files are correct. Does anybody know this problem and can explain it?

Thanks, Karsten

[sridhar_k2 · Accepted solution]

Karsten,

That is the standard approach for the Translations.

1) - With my best of knowledge, there are no tools to copy the keys for .xlf files for other languages than english. You can write a simple java application, where it compares source and target files and inserts the missing keys in the .xlf file.

2) May be the keys are not mapped properly to the new elements. That is the reason, you are seeing some in english and some in other languages. We will have the same problem quite often.

From your NWDS - go to package Explorer - go your project - src folder.

Open your .xlf file in Text Editor(Not in S2X editor)- copy the new element from english to german(.xlf ) file , change the text and rebuild the application.

Now you will see correct results. Usual reason for this, missing keys or misplaced keys.

these days, i am working new approach for translation, let me know how is this approach.

Regards,

Sridhar

[Former Member]

Hi Karsten,

I feel with you. I has the same problem.

But what do you feel about 16 Languages in one applications.

Translations take 30 min but testing and search errors can take days.

kind regards.

Gunter

Feel free to send me your Eclipse plugin for this problem;-))

[Former Member]

what do you pay?

honestly, I really think about developing a small simple tool to facilitate that. but I can't invest that much time to think about dtr-integration etc.

give me some time

[Former Member]

Guys check [this thread (Program to translate WD4J)|; where two provided their translation tools.

Web Dynpro Translator (Joseph Berth)

[http://sourceforge.net/projects/xlfmergeengine/|http://sourceforge.net/projects/xlfmergeengine/]

Easy XLF (Tobias Lott)

[http://www.easyxlf.com/|http://www.easyxlf.com/]

I didn't test the tools yet but I will in future. Both look well.

Best regards

Klaudio

[Stefan-EA]

>

> Hi.

> I always wanted to ask this, now my level of desperation is high enough again. Are there any translation best practises?

>

> Background: I've developed countless multi-language applications on NW2004s (7.0).

> I always tried to do the translation job at the end of the development phase, because I have the following pain points:

>

> 1) Initial translation is easy (but really a joke): copy xlf file, rename it, translate contents, etc. That's fine. But if I add further elements, e.g. adding some UI elements to a view's layout, it's pain to add the deltas to the other xlf files. There is no automated way of adding the missing keys, at least I do not know a tool for eclipse. Is there one? Does SAP plan to provide such a tool? What's your best practise when it comes to translation of deltas?

>

Karsten, we use the same approach . Hopefully someone has come up with a workaround....

[Former Member]

Seems like I have to write the needed eclipse plugin for myself

[Stefan-EA]

>

> Seems like I have to write the needed eclipse plugin for myself

Please share it with the rest of us when you do write it.

Thanks,

Stefan

[Former Member]

up!

[Former Member]

Last chance 'til points leave to Nirvana....