• Immutable Page
• Info
• Attachments
• More Actions: Raw Text Print View Render as Docbook Delete Cache ------------------------ Check Spelling Like Pages Local Site Map ------------------------ Rename Page Delete Page ------------------------ Subscribe User ------------------------ Remove Spam Revert to this revision Package Pages Sync Pages ------------------------ Load Save SlideShow

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.

Note: if you want to help translate Ubuntu, take a look at the [https://wiki.ubuntu.com/TranslatingUbuntu Ubuntu translations page].

Getting started

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

1. Enable translation for one of your [:Projects/SeriesMilestonesReleases#series:series] on your project's Change details page - https://launchpad.net/<yourproject>/+edit

2. Upload a translation template and any existing translation files to the series you want to translate.
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 in more detail.

Concurrent translation efforts for different series

In Launchpad, you can track parallel lines of development. These might be your development trunk, a previous but still supported release or your next planned stable release. Launchpad calls these [:Projects/SeriesMilestonesReleases#series:series].

Each series of your project has its own translation effort. This is great if, for example, your community wants to start work translating a forthcoming release while independently still maintaining translation of your current release.

Preparing your software for translation

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: translations for one language in a human-readable and editable form.

• .mo: a compiled binary form of a .po file.

You can find out more about these file formats and using GNU GetText in the [http://www.gnu.org/software/gettext/manual/gettext.html GetText manual].

Tip: you may also find Malcolm Tredinnick's [http://www.gnome.org/~malcolm/i18n/ Gnome internationalisation guide] useful, although some of the Gnome policies mentioned in that guide are now out of date.

Uploading translation files

To make your project available for translation, you must upload an archive of its .pot translation template file and any existing .po translations files.

Uploading files is easy: visit https://translations.launchpad.net/<your-project> and select the series to which you want to upload the template and translations.

Once you've uploaded these files, a member of the Launchpad team will check that they're suitable before importing them into Launchpad. You can help ensure your files are imported by checking that:

• there isn't already a translation effort in Launchpad for that project
• the files are well formed
• you have permission from the upsteam

Ensuring a successful import

There are some common problems that can cause a template or translation file import to fail.

Insert tips from Danilo and Jeroen.

Before anyone can start translating your software, you must upload a .pot template file. You can find out how to create a .pot file by reading the GNU GetText manual.

• 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.

attachment:screen-shot.png

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.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aliquam sagittis. Aliquam eros dui, scelerisque id, consequat in, accumsan vitae, pede. Suspendisse neque ligula, scelerisque ac, mattis ut, aliquam quis, odio.

Proin nunc nisi, fringilla ac, congue ac, luctus eu, lacus. Maecenas ac purus. Cras felis metus, ultricies non, euismod ac, accumsan eleifend, leo. Quisque imperdiet tempus tellus.

Ut euismod, diam nec adipiscing interdum, tortor orci fringilla nisi, vel blandit erat magna at nisi. Fusce hendrerit odio non metus. Mauris nisl massa, dapibus id, feugiat quis, blandit a, quam. Integer tincidunt feugiat nunc. Curabitur iaculis egestas elit. Nam imperdiet suscipit odio.