Localization can be automated: the experience of using Lokalise in combat conditions
Lokalise is a project localization service that allows you to automate the process of translating UI elements in mobile applications, software, and on the web. Usually, as a first step, you upload your localization files, and then the texts are corrected by product managers and translated either by your translators or by a hired team already on the Lokalise side.
After editing and translation, you can download files via the web interface or integrate using mobile SDK, API or CLI utility. In the case of the web, it is possible to insert, for example, html keys that will “pull” localized text into your project. The platform is convenient for teams that are not ready to constantly get into projects “live” for the sake of edits in localization, modifying only specific labels (also called keys) on the side of Lokalise.
In this article we will talk about the use of Lokalise for localization and translation of projects by the Ambisafe blockchain project developer .
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Initially, the team used manual localization, following the path of least resistance. “Yes, we used manual localization,” says Alexey, “many web developers still do this and will do it for a long time.” But everyone who has experienced localization issues understands how disorderly and time-consuming this manual process is. At some point, the Ambisafe team switched to using Lokalise, and so long ago that, according to Alexei, "tails can no longer be found."
For many projects, three or four main languages are enough, for example, bundles of English-German-French, if the project is focused on the EU market, plus Russian. Or, English-French-Spanish-Portuguese, if the project’s target audience is in America. There are many variations, but according to the Ambisafe project manager, their team rarely used more than four languages to localize the product.
However, the team’s portfolio also includes projects that they have localized into dozens of languages. Among them, Polybius is a project to create a regulated bank for the digital generation, which, within the framework of ICO, collected the equivalent of $ 31 million in various fiat and cryptocurrencies. In total, the project was localized into ten main languages.
One of the strengths of Lokalise is the translation system, which allows simultaneous localization into several languages at once. “It is very convenient to drive the texts and translate them in one place. After that, translations almost automatically appear on the website, ”says Ambisafe manager.
Translation Order Screenshot
But not without pitfalls. So, the use of Lokalise requires a certain dexterity and experience from Front-end developers.
“To translate several paragraphs, you need to either break the texts into blocks and translate them separately, or use special text formatting for translation - inserting html tags,” Alexey gives an example from practice. “Again, not all Front-end developers get to work with sites localized through this service the first time, since the code uses special constructions to define“ keys ”. As our experience shows, in some cases the code is simply broken, and more experienced colleagues have to restore the correct translation work. ”
The process that Alexey is talking about is the creation of localization files. With the layout of simple web pages, developers can really hardcore texts, and for further integration with any platform they will need to be segmented. But for complex web pages and web applications the use of localization files is initially the only competent approach. I must say that Ambisafe is not the only company that is struggling with hard-coded texts, so now we are debugging our new tool for automatically wrapping text into tags (keys).
Key-value segment
At the same time, the platform saved the team a sufficient amount of resources so that difficulties with the implementation and training of new members of the Front-end development team and the lowest translation prices did not become weighty arguments against using the service.
“This service, above all, saves time on the actual translation process and screwing them to the site. I must say that the cost of translations on the service is not the most democratic ( about half of the teams translate themselves or invite their translators, and the rest order from us - Lokalise), but this is offset by savings on parallel activities, ”says Ambisafe manager. For example, savings arise on the site support - there is no need to do several layouts for individual languages, the content changes centrally, it is easier to manage changes, since the translations are centralized.
It is not necessary to rush headlong into Lokalise. Anyone who is interested can make a small website and test the capabilities of the service on it and evaluate how they are suitable for various tasks. Such manipulations will give a basic understanding of the Lokalise toolkit and an understanding of how it works.
Typically, the method of localization is determined at the initial stage of development in order to avoid an inefficient “horse change”, but our service is used by Ambisafe with enviable regularity, including for complex projects.
In the upcoming articles we will talk about the theory and practice of localizing iOS and Android applications, where multiplatform, universal insertion markers and mobile Lokalise SDK do small wonders.
After editing and translation, you can download files via the web interface or integrate using mobile SDK, API or CLI utility. In the case of the web, it is possible to insert, for example, html keys that will “pull” localized text into your project. The platform is convenient for teams that are not ready to constantly get into projects “live” for the sake of edits in localization, modifying only specific labels (also called keys) on the side of Lokalise.
In this article we will talk about the use of Lokalise for localization and translation of projects by the Ambisafe blockchain project developer .
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Ambisafe team has been developing blockchain products since 2010. Since that time, in the depths of the team have attended to the issue of localization for a couple of basic languages other than English.
Initially, the team used manual localization, following the path of least resistance. “Yes, we used manual localization,” says Alexey, “many web developers still do this and will do it for a long time.” But everyone who has experienced localization issues understands how disorderly and time-consuming this manual process is. At some point, the Ambisafe team switched to using Lokalise, and so long ago that, according to Alexei, "tails can no longer be found."
For many projects, three or four main languages are enough, for example, bundles of English-German-French, if the project is focused on the EU market, plus Russian. Or, English-French-Spanish-Portuguese, if the project’s target audience is in America. There are many variations, but according to the Ambisafe project manager, their team rarely used more than four languages to localize the product.
However, the team’s portfolio also includes projects that they have localized into dozens of languages. Among them, Polybius is a project to create a regulated bank for the digital generation, which, within the framework of ICO, collected the equivalent of $ 31 million in various fiat and cryptocurrencies. In total, the project was localized into ten main languages.
Lokalise strengths
One of the strengths of Lokalise is the translation system, which allows simultaneous localization into several languages at once. “It is very convenient to drive the texts and translate them in one place. After that, translations almost automatically appear on the website, ”says Ambisafe manager.
Translation Order Screenshot
But not without pitfalls. So, the use of Lokalise requires a certain dexterity and experience from Front-end developers.
“To translate several paragraphs, you need to either break the texts into blocks and translate them separately, or use special text formatting for translation - inserting html tags,” Alexey gives an example from practice. “Again, not all Front-end developers get to work with sites localized through this service the first time, since the code uses special constructions to define“ keys ”. As our experience shows, in some cases the code is simply broken, and more experienced colleagues have to restore the correct translation work. ”
The process that Alexey is talking about is the creation of localization files. With the layout of simple web pages, developers can really hardcore texts, and for further integration with any platform they will need to be segmented. But for complex web pages and web applications the use of localization files is initially the only competent approach. I must say that Ambisafe is not the only company that is struggling with hard-coded texts, so now we are debugging our new tool for automatically wrapping text into tags (keys).
Key-value segment
At the same time, the platform saved the team a sufficient amount of resources so that difficulties with the implementation and training of new members of the Front-end development team and the lowest translation prices did not become weighty arguments against using the service.
“This service, above all, saves time on the actual translation process and screwing them to the site. I must say that the cost of translations on the service is not the most democratic ( about half of the teams translate themselves or invite their translators, and the rest order from us - Lokalise), but this is offset by savings on parallel activities, ”says Ambisafe manager. For example, savings arise on the site support - there is no need to do several layouts for individual languages, the content changes centrally, it is easier to manage changes, since the translations are centralized.
Choose a service for your tasks
It is not necessary to rush headlong into Lokalise. Anyone who is interested can make a small website and test the capabilities of the service on it and evaluate how they are suitable for various tasks. Such manipulations will give a basic understanding of the Lokalise toolkit and an understanding of how it works.
Typically, the method of localization is determined at the initial stage of development in order to avoid an inefficient “horse change”, but our service is used by Ambisafe with enviable regularity, including for complex projects.
What's next
In the upcoming articles we will talk about the theory and practice of localizing iOS and Android applications, where multiplatform, universal insertion markers and mobile Lokalise SDK do small wonders.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/333744/
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