Choose a variant structure for localization - On Premises: 2022.R5

Translations

The structure of your primary-variant relationships will depend on your specific requirements, and can be simple or complex. The structure (or variant hierarchy) you choose will be based on the primary language and the language groups and locales you are translating to.

Note: The source language as the language you are translating from and the locale (or target) is the language you are translating to.

  • You can translate from the primary content in your library (the content written by your authors, for example, from the content written in US English).
  • You can also translate from a locale (for example, content that has been translated to French). Note, in this case the French locale becomes the source for this translation job.

You can add locales to your structure as they are needed. As an example, you can start with a structure using US English as the Library's source language and translate the content to French. At a later date you could add French Canadian as a locale grouped under the French locale.

Localizing from a Source Language_img

Locale Group Example_img

Important: The primary language for your library cannot be changed.

Localize directly from the library source language:

Sample: US English as library source

Localizing from a Source Language_img

With the simplest application of variants, content is created using the primary language as the source language, and all target locales are localized directly from this source. This is the recommended method that we expect will be used by most clients.

For example, create content in US English, then translate to French and German from the US English source content.

Localize from a language other than the library source language:

Sample: Japanese as library source

Localizing from a Second Language_img

If you find that it is more effective to localize from a language other than your library's primary language, you can create the original content in your primary language, localize to one or more target locales, then use one of those target locales as the source language for a further group of target locales.

For example, it may be more effective to translate Japanese -> US English -> French than to translate directly from Japanese -> French.

Multiple locales within a single Language Group:

Sample: Japanese as library source

Locale Group Example2_img

Sample: US English as library source

Locale Group Example_img

There are advantages to grouping similar languages in a sub-level:

  • Sample: Japanese as primary

    Simpler conversion from sub-level to sub-sub level (for example US English to UK English)

  • Sample: US English as primary

    Convenient fall-back paths (for example, if French Canadian doesn't exist, fall-back to French)

There are also disadvantages with using sub-levels, primarily when it comes to the display of the May need retranslation warning flag.