For the translation of Haiku's user guide, an ​online tool has been developed to keep track of the progress of every language and to ensure all pages are in sync with the original English version. The translating itself is also done with it, online.

The translations of the user guide need constant attention. It's not only translations to new languages, but also keeping everything up-to-date.

Help with translations

If you have a good grasp of the English language and enough knowledge of HTML to recognize what's a tag (<i>,<b> etc.) and what's translatable contents, here is how to get involved:

Have a look at the translation rules and styles in the ​wiki of the specific language.

Subscribe to the ​documentation mailing list (​message archive) and the language-specific ​haiku-i18n-* discussion list and introduce yourself. The respective "Language Manager" will provide you with login information for the online translation tool after your application has been discussed/voted on by the other volunteers. You may have to do a few sample block translations handed to you by your Language Manager.

Starting a new translation

If you would like to start a completely new translation, these steps are necessary:

1. Find at least one more dedicated translator. It's really too much work for one alone.
2. Subscribe to the ​documentation mailing list (​message archive) and introduce yourselves.
3. Join the then newly created haiku-i18n-?? mailing list and discuss:

• Who will be the "Language Manager" who will monitor the mailing lists and welcomes newcomers, hands them sample blocks to test their skills, calls for votes, creates translator accounts at the translation website, and updates the ​wiki according to what's been discussed. Esp. in the beginning, the Language Manager should read through the work of newcomers and suggest improvements to guarantee a certain consistency.
  
• Work on a translation guide, defining rules and style of the translation at the wiki. Rule no.1 is "Don't change the HTML formatting of the original texts". Everything else, how the reader is addressed, using active or passive etc. is language specific and therefore totally in your hands.
  
• Update a list of common terminology and translations in the wiki.

4. When the above is done, announce it on the documentation mailing list and the Language Manager receives his account after providing his desired username and email address. He can then create more accounts for "his" translators on-site. Passwords are generated automatically and send via email (check your spam folder!).

The online translation tool

The status page

Thanks to a very nice online tool written by Vincent Duvert, the translating process is easy as can be. Starting point is the page with the ​current translation status of all documents.

The first column holds the original English document. It's the basis of all translations: any changes, improvements or completely new pages have to start with the original English text. To edit English pages you need special authoring privileges.

The other columns are for all the different languages. Every entry has a link to "View" the current version of the page or to "Translate" parts of it. It also shows the translation status in percent.

Translating a page

Clicking "Translate" will open the document for translation:

Every translatable block has a red backdrop that lights up when the mouse hovers over it. If the backdrop is yellow instead, it means that the original English text has changed, and the translation has become "fuzzy" (this is also reflected in the percentage-display on the status page). A white backdrop signals that this block has been translated and is in sync with the original English version.

So:

white:	translated and in sync with the English original.
red:	not translated yet.
yellow:	"fuzzy", review needed - either the English original has been changed or a translator has set the block as incomplete.

Translating a block

If you click a block, the translation panel opens:

On the left side is the original text, on the right where you work on the translation. There's also a link to language specific style guide and terminology that have to be respected to get a consistent result when several people work together.
When you're satisfied with your text, you use the button "Send {language} Translation" or "Cancel" to abort. You can activate the checkbox "Go to next block after validation" to quickly translate block after block.

The document window is updated live with your newly created text. That way you can keep checking if there's a smooth transition from one block to the next.

In case you are unsure of a translation, or want to save a partial translation and finish it later, check the "Fuzzy" box before clicking "Send Translation".
This "fuzzy" flag indicates that a translation for a particular block may be imprecise or unfinished, and needs review. When a part of the original English document changes, translations associated to this part are automatically marked as fuzzy, so the translators can easily spot what needs to be updated.