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DRAFT: this page is a work in progress. Please [:Feedback:seek further help] or check the [:TitleIndex:wiki index] for a complete page on this topic.

Overview

While development usually takes place in English, free software is used by people in hundreds of different languages across the globe.

Launchpad applies two of the great benefits of the open source development model to translating your software:

• anyone can translate or suggest translations
• translations are automatically shared between projects.

Importantly, Launchpad's simple web interface makes it easy for anyone to help translate your software, while its support of the popular GNU GetText file formats makes it easy to integrate their work into your project.

Getting started

You need to do three things before people can use Launchpad to translate your project:

1. Enable translation on your project's Change details page - https://launchpad.net/<yourproject>/+edit

2. Upload a translation template.
3. Choose a permissions policy - i.e. decide who can make what sorts of changes to your translations.

Let's take a look at those last two, in turn.

Uploading a translation template

Launchpad uses GNU GetText's file formats to import and and export translations:

• .pot: a template that includes the English text that you want people to translate.

• .po: the translations for a particular language.

• .mo: Before anyone can translate your project, you need to upload your software's English user-interface text.

By default, translation is switched off for all new projects. This helps avoid wasted work.

To enable translations for your project, visit

Use the first two paragraphs to summarise all the important points about this article.

Tell the reader if this is the information they need as soon as possible.

Instructional text

Where appropriate, use step by step instructions:

Step 1: Give concise and unambiguous instructions.

Step 2: Try not to state the obvious, unless you're writing for a novice user.

Note: Highlight important information with a note.

Step 3: Use a well cropped screen shot if it will help orient the reader. Don't let the screen shot replace instructional text: not everyone can see your screen shot. Don't worry about borders or annotation for small, cropped screen shots such as this.

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Warning: If you're about to tell the reader to delete or otherwise change something that would be hard to restore, warn them.

Full screen shots

Some screen shots will be better placed to the right of your text. As they're not placed directly below the text that they support, use a border and short description.

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