Newbie questions about the translation process and standards

[marnix]

Recently I started to dabble a bit in helping to translate AndBIble into Dutch, and @tuomas2 suggested I ask these questions here.

I'm completely new to app translation, so I'm investigating on my own, for topics like this:

• When do Android standards want me to use an infinitive, and when an imperative, for non-English languages?

  [E.g., a dialog offers a 'Remove' option. Is that short for "I choose to remove this thing", so the infinitive, or for "Please remove this thing", the imperative? My Dutch Android seems to favor the infinitive for dialog boxes. In settings screens, the setting name often has an infinitive, but the additional explaining text often has an imperative, it seems.]

• What are the standard Dutch translations for 'mode', 'label', 'animation', 'database', 'OK', ...?

• (And more will pop up, I'm sure.)

--> Any existing hints and information on these topics is welcome!

Some other beginner questions:

--> Sometimes I have a suggested change for the original text. Can I document / raise that in Transifex? Or a GitHub issue (and if so: how grouped)? Or...?

(Initial examples: "application" should perhaps be "app" throughout, in this Android context; and "GitHub" seems to be the correct spelling, not "Github".)

--> Sometimes I discover / know the context in which a piece of text is used, but there is no 'context' or 'string instruction' or 'developer remark'. [By the way, what is the difference between these?] How can I help updating that context/instruction/remark?

--> What would be the easiest way to find the source code context for a specific string? (I'm a programmer and used to working with GitHub, Git, and Linux command line.)

--> Sometimes I get a Transifex warning, if the translation doesn't match the dictionary entries that are set up. When I'm certain the translation is correct as-is, how can I disable that warning?

--> Where can the answers to the above questions be documented? (I really would like the knowledge I build up to be preserved for others...) On GitHub somewhere? Preferably some centralized place?

My apologies for all those questions, thanks for all the hard work!

[marnix]

Also,

--> Given that I'm currently the only translator for Dutch, would it be OK if I overturned some decisions from earlier translators?

(For example, "reading plan" has two possible translations. The few terms translated until now use one, but I'd like to use the other instead everywhere.)

--> It seems that for an approved translation string, all I can do it to add a suggestion. What happens with those suggestions? How would I go about making (or requesting) a change in an approved translation?

--> At a higher level, what is the process around approving the translations that I provide?

[marnix]

Also,

--> Is there perhaps some nightly / CI build .apk that I could use to see recent translations in action?

[cmahte]

Most of these questions belong in the "help translate into your language" web page, as a FAQ. All good, relevant and universal questions.

[tuomas2]

Thanks again for translating UI to dutch! I'll answer questions latest tomorrow unless someone else does before that.

[tuomas2]

Hi!

Recently I started to dabble a bit in helping to translate AndBIble into Dutch, and @tuomas2 suggested I ask these questions here.

I'm completely new to app translation, so I'm investigating on my own, for topics like this:

• When do Android standards want me to use an infinitive, and when an imperative, for non-English languages?

I'm hoping some other translators could answer these. Perhaps there are some more knowledgeable people following? Developer team members in general are not translator specialists.

[E.g., a dialog offers a 'Remove' option. Is that short for "I choose to remove this thing", so the infinitive, or for "Please remove this thing", the imperative? My Dutch Android seems to favor the infinitive for dialog boxes. In settings screens, the setting name often has an infinitive, but the additional explaining text often has an imperative, it seems.]

• What are the standard Dutch translations for 'mode', 'label', 'animation', 'database', 'OK', ...?
• (And more will pop up, I'm sure.)

--> Any existing hints and information on these topics is welcome!

I'm welcoming your input and contribution for translation documentation if you will figure these out and create some docs :-)

Some other beginner questions:

--> Sometimes I have a suggested change for the original text. Can I document / raise that in Transifex? Or a GitHub issue (and if so: how grouped)? Or...? (Initial examples: "application" should perhaps be "app" throughout, in this Android context; and "GitHub" seems to be the correct spelling, not "Github".)

If you would like something to be changed in the source text, we can do it via en_GB language (which is used to fix something that does not essentially change the meaning but improves language). It will be used for (all) english users. Please make a new ticket in Github about your suggestions and we (me, @agrogers, @timbze etc) will do the changes if they are good.

In general we are reluctant to change the original text in source code (even if it contains minor issues), because it would require all translators in all languages to update their translations unnecessarily.

--> Sometimes I discover / know the context in which a piece of text is used, but there is no 'context' or 'string instruction' or 'developer remark'. [By the way, what is the difference between these?] How can I help updating that context/instruction/remark? --> What would be the easiest way to find the source code context for a specific string? (I'm a programmer and used to working with GitHub, Git, and Linux command line.)

3 ways:

• (if you are familiar with Git:) Change code and make pull request. Comment on the line above translatable string shows up as "Developer notes". You can find examples of that in code. Find src/main/res/values/strings.xml and app/bibleview-js/src/lang/default.yaml and do edits there.
• Create issue / comment in Transifex and write there what you would think as a good context. I will then copy & paste them as transifex context.
• You could also create Github issue and let us know what should be in which item as a context. We will update the context then manually.

--> Sometimes I get a Transifex warning, if the translation doesn't match the dictionary entries that are set up. When I'm certain the translation is correct as-is, how can I disable that warning?

Can you give screenshot of the issue? I'm not aware of that. Perhaps googling Transifex docs also helps?

--> Where can the answers to the above questions be documented? (I really would like the knowledge I build up to be preserved for others...) On GitHub somewhere? Preferably some centralized place?

We can write them in Wiki page. Best way for you to contribute is to create a Github ticket, write documentation as ticket description (that you edit) and notify us to update the WIKI accordingly.

My apologies for all those questions, thanks for all the hard work!

Also,

--> Given that I'm currently the only translator for Dutch, would it be OK if I overturned some decisions from earlier translators?

Yes please! I am not aware how knowledgeable earlier translators have been. If you are the only active one you can do the decisions. You can also (try to) communicate other translators (via Transifex messages).

(For example, "reading plan" has two possible translations. The few terms translated until now use one, but I'd like to use the other instead everywhere.)

--> It seems that for an approved translation string, all I can do it to add a suggestion. What happens with those suggestions? How would I go about making (or requesting) a change in an approved translation?

All translations (even unreviewed ones) will be pulled to the app. Reviewing translations is completely optional.

--> At a higher level, what is the process around approving the translations that I provide?

[tuomas2]

Also,

--> Is there perhaps some nightly / CI build .apk that I could use to see recent translations in action?

No, but I can pull translations any time and create a build for you any time (at least once a day normally). Just ping me here or on #1028 when you need that.

[tuomas2]

BTW @JJK96 would you have something useful for @marnix's questions about Dutch specific translation decisions (see above)?

[JJK96]

What are the standard Dutch translations for 'mode', 'label', 'animation', 'database', 'OK', ...?

I had trouble with these things as well, I'm a native Dutch speaker, but always set my language to English. So I don't really know how digital things are called in dutch usually. For these words I would go with

• mode: stand of mode,
• label: etiket of label,
• animation: animatie,
• database: database,
• OK: OK

Given that I'm currently the only translator for Dutch, would it be OK if I overturned some decisions from earlier translators?

I would be fine with that, if you're convinced it is better, go ahead! What is your plan for reading plan? I don't know how it's translated right now, but I would consider "leesplan" the correct translation, that's how it's called in other apps. If you have suggestions for other changes, you can send me a message on teams, or you can email me, or put it in this issue.

[marnix]

@JJK96 To make sure others can join in / see discussion later, I suggest I open a separate 'Dutch translation guidelines questions' GitHub issue. Thanks for the support!

(I do have my Android running in Dutch, if only to better support my Dutch family&friends, so at least I can take some inspiration from that.)

In the same spirit, perhaps a generic 'Translation guidelines questions' GitHub topic would be helpful.

[marnix]

@tuomas2 Thanks for all the responses! Whenever I have some proposed text for a new FAQ to be added to https://github.com/AndBible/and-bible/wiki/Translating-User-Interface (per @cmahte's suggestion), I'll create a GitHub issue like you said.

I'll try to clarify my 'Transifex warning' question later, with a screenshot.

Two questions I don't yet see the answer to:

--> It seems that for an approved translation string, all I can do it to add a suggestion. What happens with those suggestions? How would I go about making (or requesting) a change in an approved translation?

So what I meant is (will add screenshot later) that I cannot change the translation if it has already been approved. It almost looks like a permission issue?

--> What would be the easiest way to find the source code context for a specific string? (I'm a programmer and used to working with GitHub, Git, and Linux command line.)

Because sometimes I think it would help for me to see the actual source code that has the original string...

Thanks again!

[tuomas2]

Try now, I made you lang coordinator.

[marnix]

Try now, I made you lang coordinator.

That worked, I can now change approved translations, and approve/unapprove translations.

Thanks!

[marnix]

--> Sometimes I get a Transifex warning, if the translation doesn't match the dictionary entries that are set up. When I'm certain the translation is correct as-is, how can I disable that warning?

Can you give screenshot of the issue? I'm not aware of that. Perhaps googling Transifex docs also helps?

Here is an answer to my own question, found by searching the forums, which led to thread https://community.transifex.com/t/glossary-false-warning/172, which at the very end leads to https://community.transifex.com/t/new-feature-option-to-remove-warning-messages/2285 from last May.

Here is a simple example, where Transifex says:

• The original has 'label', the glossary translates that to 'label', so the translation has to contain 'label'.
• The original has 'color', the glossary translates that to 'kleur', so the translation has to contain 'kleur'.
• The translation is 'labelkleur', which (by its definition) "contains" neither 'label' nor 'kleur', therefore I'm warning that the term 'label' (and would warn that the term 'kleur') is missing from the translation.

In this case the translation is correct, so I'd like to tell Transifex, "Thanks for warning me, but I got this, trust me, I know what I'm doing."

So the solution is simply to click the X icon at the right of the warning pane, and that deletes the warning.

Screenshot (in Dutch, unfortunately; note the irony that the warning is untranslated 🙃):

[NetForce1]

Hi @marnix , I decided to give back, and see if I can be of help in translating the app to Dutch. Did you come to a conclusion yet on the questions you posed here? Most importantly the one about infinitive vs imperative?