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Introduction

This document is based on and extents Localization_for_developers. The document is work in progress showing the result of a detailed technical analysis of the current process (version 3.4.1) . As such this document should be seen as a replacement of Localization_for_developers.

The l10n process only concerns itself about localizing defined supported languages. Adding a new language is a i18 process. This document is further restricted to the ongoing translation process and closely related build process. In case of external happenings, like e.g. Germany changing rules of spelling, it should be covered with i18 procedures.

The document will hopefully spark a discussion so it can be updated with other views from the ooo-L10n@incubator.apache.org.

It is important to understand the current process before we start discussing detailed changes, so this is the main purpose of this page. Once all the open issues at the end of document have been discussed as solutions agreed upon, a new document will be made describing the process as it should be in the near future.

Thanks to all those persons who contributed to Localization_for_developers that has been a great starting point for this document.

Overview

Localization, often abbreviated as l10n, defines the process to make a software package available in local languages, different to the language of the developer.

Localization is from the perspective of the involved person a multi-step process that involves a variety of tools and procedures. Most importantly the 4 main categories of involved persons have quite different and to some extent conflicting views and requirement, therefore the process should be a real “best of all worlds” approach.

The current process is more or less purely developer oriented, contains a lot of different tools and depends a lot on the responsibility of the involved people. It seems to be a process that has grown out of necessity more than a planned road.

Most of the tools used as well as the central data format (SDF) are specific to AOO and not used anywhere else even though both source (c++, resource, UI files) and target (po files) are standard file formats.

Only a part of the workflow are integrated in the build system. Much of it requires manual steps to be taken. Some of the tools involved are not part of the OpenOffice SVN and, due to a hard disk crash of the old pootle server, are lost.

Translations are done with the help of a pootle server. The localization work flow can very short be seen as:

• extraction messages from source files.
• uploading message to the pootle server.
• translating messages on the pootle server.
• downloading messages from the pootle server.
• merging messages into source files.

If you are looking for information about how to contribute translations then [[Localization] this page] gives an (outdated) overview.

The document has 5 parts:

• a relative non-technical overview of the process,
• a detailed technical overview of the process,
• a detailed technical data flow/storage view,
• a detailed technical view of the tools used with parameters etc,
• an open issues list,

Actors and Systems

The l10n process can and should be viewed with respect to 4 different categories of people who access the process through 2 different systems. The translator consider pootle server to be repository whereas the others consider SVN the main repository.