The localization process in Author-it uses variant objects for localized content. This enables both your source content and your localized content to be stored in the same Library. The content is created in Author or directly through the Library. Translations is used to manage the translation jobs and update the variants topics in your Library.
The following overview discusses the processes of creating and updating content in the Library during the translation process.
The locale variant is created when the translation job is created and then updated with the translated file from the Service Provider is imported.
Step 1: Create your source content.
- This is a new topic object so it is not marked with any variant or locale icons.
Step 2: Use Translations to create a translation job and export the job to the service provider.
- The object in the source language is marked as a primary object (a "parent") and is shown with the primary object icon (
). - A locale variant for the topic is automatically created in the library as part of the translation job. At this stage, the content in the locale variant is a copy of the primary object, and is still in the source language.
- The locale variant is created with a child relationship to the primary topic.
- The locale variant is shown with two icons in the library - the locale variant icon (
)and the gray locale flag (
)to indicate it requires translation.
Step 3: Use Translations to import the completed translation job.
- The locale variant is automatically updated with the translated content.
- The locale variant is marked as Localized and the gray locale flag is updated to the colored locale flag (
) to indicate it has been translated.
Now let's look at the process for making an update to the source content.
Step 4: Update the source content in Author or the Library.
- The primary object has a parent relationship to the locale variant. When the primary object is updated the locale variant is flagged as requiring re-translation and the colored flag is updated to the red exclamation flag.
Step 5: Use the translations tool to create a translation job with the updated source content and export the job.
- The red exclamation flag at the locale variant is removed. From the state of the object, you can see that the object is out for translation.
Step 6: Use Translations to import the completed translation job.
- The locale variant is updated with the new content and the flag is updated to the colored locale flag.