For multilingual Self Help project, all components can be translated into different languages, e.g. folder labels, procedure titles, step content, form fields, etc.

You can use a combination of methods to do this.  See the description.

• Perform the translation component by component.
• Perform the translation by exporting and importing a translation archive for the Self Help project.
• Use an automatic translation tool for procedure steps and HTML content resources.

Notes

• You define the languages for the Self Help project  in the Desktop Studio in edit mode by selecting Help > Preferences > Allowed Languages in the menu.

Characteristics of each translation method

Translation component by component

      See the procedure.

• Translation is performed for each language.
• This means that you have to access each component and translate them individually, i.e. elements in the tree structure, procedure step names, text in steps, resource content, etc.

Translation by exporting and importing a translation archive

      See the procedure.

• A translation archive is created for all the components of a Self Help project.
• It is performed for a given language
• Translation is done directly in the exported XLIFF files.  See Important notes.
• Once translation is done, you reimport the archive to the Self Help project.

Automatic translation tool

• Translation is performed for each language in the Conception pane in edit mode.
• The text in the source language will automatically be translated into the target language.
• If required, you can make modifications manually to the translation for each of the languages.

Caution

Translation by exporting and importing a translation archive

• XLIFF files that are generated by exporting a translation archive contain numerous tags in XML format. We therefore recommend that you ask a translation agency to perform the translation using industry-specific software. Industry-specific software use translation memories that store and reuse segments of sentences subsequently. This means that only translatable data you have added or modified from one version to the next will be processed.
• We therefore recommend thay you lock the Self Help project as long as the translation archive has not been reimported. If any modification is made to the content in the meantime, the translation archive will no longer be valid.

Procedures

How to translate a Self Help project, component by component

Step 1: Select the translation languages.

1. Select Help > Preferences in the menu.

2. Click Allowed Languages.

3. Select the languages for the multilingual management of your Self Help projects.

4. Click Apply and click OK.
 

Step 2: Translate the Self Help project name and its components.

1. Click  in the toolbar of the Explorer pane to select the translation language.

2. Translate the name of the Self Help project.

• Right-click the name.
• Select Rename from the contextual menu. <F2>
• Enter the name in the selected translation language.
• Press <Enter> to save.
  The translated name is saved. The name in the source language is displayed in gray between brackets.

3. Repeat these actions to translate the names of all components in the Self Help project.
 

Step 3: Translate procedure objects.

1. Click  in the toolbar of the Conception pane to select the translation language.

2. Translate all object names in the flow chart.

• Right-click each object.
• Select Rename from the contextual menu. <F2>
• Enter the name in the selected translation language.
• Press <Enter> to save.
  The translated name is saved.
   

Step 4: Translate the content of procedure objects.

     Also see How to translate HTML content and the content of steps automatically.
 

1. Display the Description tab of the translation language by selecting View > Description in the menu.
A new Description tab preceded by the translation language flag will appear.
      

2. Click the procedure object whose content you want to translate in the flow chart of the Conception pane.
The content of the object will appear in the Description tab of the translation language.

3. Translate the content of the object in the Content tab of the Description pane.

4. Repeat these actions for all procedure objects containing content to be translated.
 

Step 5: Translate project resources.

      See the description of different types of resources.

Document resources

1. Add the translated document to the Explorer pane.

• Add it to the same folder as the source document.
• Modify its name.

2. Replace the source document with the new one in the translated procedure.

• Click the source document in the Explorer pane.
• Select the Used by tab in the Properties view.
• Click the first step where the document is used.
  • Case 1: The document is added as an attachment in the step.
    • Click  in the toolbar of the Conception pane to select the translation language.
    • Click and drag the translated document to the step in the Conception pane.
  • Case 2: The document is inserted in the content editor of the step.
    • Select the Description tab of the translation language you want in the Description pane.
    • Click and drag the translated document to the Content tab.

• Repeat these actions for each step where the source document is used.
   

HTML content resources

1. Double-click the resource in the Explorer pane.

2. Click  in the toolbar of the Conception pane to select the translation language.

3. Perform the translation in the Conception pane.

Form resources

1. Double-click the resource in the Explorer pane.

2. Click  in the toolbar of the Conception pane to select the translation language.

3. Translate the component names in the form.

4. Double-click the first component.
The content of the object will appear in the Description tab of the translation language.

5. Select the Input/Output tab and click Update list.

6. Translate the name of each component and click Finish.

How to translate a Self Help project by exporting and importing an archive

Step 1: Export the content of the Self Help project to an archive.

1. Right-click the Self Help project and select Translation > Export text files for localization from the contextual menu.

2. Select the content to be exported in the tree structure.

3. Tick the option called Prevent updates before translation return to lock the Self Help project as long as all of the exported files have not been reimported.

4. Click  to select the translation language.

5. Specify the name and location of the translation archive.

6. Click Finish.

Caution: Do not unlock the Self Help project as long as the translation archive has not been reimported. If any modification is made to the content in the meantime, the translation archive will no longer be valid.
 

Step 2: Translate the content of files.

Caution: XLIFF files contain numerous tags in XML format. We therefore recommend that you ask a translation agency to perform the translation using industry-specific software.

1. Unzip the translation archive.
XLF files will be extracted (XML format).

2. Open the first XLF file.

3. Translate the content of the object.

4. Save the file.

5. Repeat these actions to translate and save each file.
 

Step 3: Reimport the translation archive.

1. Save the translation archive as a ZIP folder with all of the translated XLIFF files.

2. Right-click the Self Help project and select Open project.

3. Right-click the Self Help project and select Translation > Import translated archive files from the contextual menu.

4. Select the ZIP file of the translation archive.
The content of the translation archive will be displayed.

5. Click Finish.

Unlock a Self Help project manually

• Right-click the Self Help project and select Remove lock from the contextual menu.

How to use the automatic translation tool

Step 1: Write the content of the object in the source language.

1. Click the object you want to translate in the flow chart of the Conception pane.
The Content tab will appear in the Description pane.

2. Click the source language in the translation tab bar.

3. Write the content in the source language.
      

Step 2: Translate the content of the object into the target language.

1. Click the target language in the translation tab bar.
The text in the source language will automatically be inserted.
      

2. Select View in the menu and click the  icon.
The source language will automatically be detected.

3. Select the target language.

4. Click Translate.
 The text of the procedure will automatically be translated into the target language.

5. If required, you can make modifications manually to the automatic translation.