July 19, 2017 at 20:17Localization can be automated: experience using Lokalise in combat
Lokalise is a project localization service that automates the translation of 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 edited 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 the mobile SDK, API or CLI utility. In the case of the web, it is possible to insert, for example, html keys that will "pull" the 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 localization edits, modifying only specific labels (they are also called keys) on the Lokalise side.
In this article, we will talk about using Lokalise to localize and translate projects by Ambisafe, a blockchain project development company .
Initially, the team used manual localization, following the path of least resistance. “Yes, we used manual localization,” says Alexei, “many web developers still do this, and will do so for a long time.” But everyone who has come across localization issues understands how inconvenient 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, “there are no more tails.”
For many projects, three to four main languages are sufficient, for example, a bunch of English-German-French, if the project is aimed at the EU market, plus Russian. Or English-French-Spanish-Portuguese, if the project’s CA 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 has projects that they localized in a dozen languages. Among them, Polybius is a project to create a regulated bank for the digital generation, which, through the ICO, raised the equivalent of $ 31 million in various fiat and cryptocurrencies. In total, the project was localized in ten major languages.
One of the strengths of Lokalise is its translator system, which allows simultaneous localization into several languages at once. “It is very convenient to drive texts and translate them in one place. After that, translations appear almost automatically on the website, ”says the Ambisafe manager. Screenshot of the translation order But not without pitfalls. So, using Lokalise requires some skill and experience from Front-end developers.
“To translate several paragraphs, you must either break the texts into blocks and translate them separately, or use special text formatting to translate - insert html tags,” Alexei gives an example from practice. “Again, not all Front-end developers manage to work with sites localized through this service for 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 work of translations. ”
The process that Alexey is talking about is the creation of localization files. With the layout of simple web pages, developers can really hardcode 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 fights hardcoded texts, so now we are debugging our new tool for automatically "wrapping" text in labels (keys). Key-Value Segment
At the same time, the platform saved a sufficient amount of resources for the team so that the difficulties with implementing and training new Front-end development team members and not the lowest translation prices would not become weighty arguments against using the service.
“This service, first of all, saves time on the process of translation 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 are ordered from us- approx. Lokalise), but this is offset by savings in parallel activities, ”says the Ambisafe manager. For example, the savings arise from the support of the site - there is no need to make several typesetting 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. Everyone who is interested can make a small site and already test the capabilities of the service on it and evaluate how they are suitable for certain tasks. Such manipulations will give a basic idea of the Lokalise tools 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 ineffective “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 insert markers and mobile Lokalise SDKs work wonders.
After editing and translation, you can download files via the web interface or integrate using the mobile SDK, API or CLI utility. In the case of the web, it is possible to insert, for example, html keys that will "pull" the 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 localization edits, modifying only specific labels (they are also called keys) on the Lokalise side.
In this article, we will talk about using Lokalise to localize and translate projects by Ambisafe, a blockchain project development company .
The Ambisafe team has been developing blockchain products since 2010. Since that time, in the bowels of the team, they have become preoccupied with the issue of localization into 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 Alexei, “many web developers still do this, and will do so for a long time.” But everyone who has come across localization issues understands how inconvenient 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, “there are no more tails.”
For many projects, three to four main languages are sufficient, for example, a bunch of English-German-French, if the project is aimed at the EU market, plus Russian. Or English-French-Spanish-Portuguese, if the project’s CA 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 has projects that they localized in a dozen languages. Among them, Polybius is a project to create a regulated bank for the digital generation, which, through the ICO, raised the equivalent of $ 31 million in various fiat and cryptocurrencies. In total, the project was localized in ten major languages.
Strengths of Lokalise
One of the strengths of Lokalise is its translator system, which allows simultaneous localization into several languages at once. “It is very convenient to drive texts and translate them in one place. After that, translations appear almost automatically on the website, ”says the Ambisafe manager. Screenshot of the translation order But not without pitfalls. So, using Lokalise requires some skill and experience from Front-end developers.
“To translate several paragraphs, you must either break the texts into blocks and translate them separately, or use special text formatting to translate - insert html tags,” Alexei gives an example from practice. “Again, not all Front-end developers manage to work with sites localized through this service for 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 work of translations. ”
The process that Alexey is talking about is the creation of localization files. With the layout of simple web pages, developers can really hardcode 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 fights hardcoded texts, so now we are debugging our new tool for automatically "wrapping" text in labels (keys). Key-Value Segment
At the same time, the platform saved a sufficient amount of resources for the team so that the difficulties with implementing and training new Front-end development team members and not the lowest translation prices would not become weighty arguments against using the service.
“This service, first of all, saves time on the process of translation 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 are ordered from us- approx. Lokalise), but this is offset by savings in parallel activities, ”says the Ambisafe manager. For example, the savings arise from the support of the site - there is no need to make several typesetting 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. Everyone who is interested can make a small site and already test the capabilities of the service on it and evaluate how they are suitable for certain tasks. Such manipulations will give a basic idea of the Lokalise tools 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 ineffective “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 insert markers and mobile Lokalise SDKs work wonders.
