Localization

Introduction

The Opencast project uses the Crowdin Localization Management Platform for translating Opencast into a variety of languages.

The English translation (en-US) acts as source language that is translated to other languages using Crowdin. While all translation files are located in the Opencast code repository, only the English translation should be modified in the code repository - all other translation files are downloaded from Crowdin.

Important: All translation files for languages other than English (en-US) are downloaded from Crowdin. Modifications to the translation files in the Opencast code repository will be regularly overwritten and therefore will be lost!

Note that Crowdin managers take care of uploading the English sources (and possibly translations) to Crowdin and download the others translations from Crowdin.

I would like Opencast to support my language. Is this possible?

Yes, absolutely! If you are willing to take the effort to provide the translation, we are happy to include your favorite language in Opencast!

How can I provide a language translation?

We use the Crowdin Localization Management Platform - an easy to use web service for localization management. To provide a language translation, please perform the following steps:

  1. Create a free account on Crowdin
  2. Visit the Opencast project on Crowdin and issue a join request
  3. Translate Opencast on Crowdin

Once the translation reaches at least 90% (prefarable 100%), please read the section about include and exclusion of translations just below.

In case you have questions, we are happy to answer them on the Opencast Users mailing list.

Inclusion and Exclusion of Translations

Opencast supports a number of languages right out-of-the-box. Please find the criteria for inclusion and exlusion of language translations in Opencast releases below:

  1. A not yet supported translation is included into the next major release if it is translated at least 90% at the time when the release branch is cut. The release managers will take the review if no other reviewer can be found.

  2. A not yet supported translation may be included in the current release branch anytime if it is translated to 100% and a reviewer is found. It will then be part of the next minor release and major release if feasible

  3. An endangered translation is a supported translation that is translated less than 80% at the time when the release branch of the next major release is cut. The release managers will publish a list of endangered languages if any

  4. An endangered translation will be removed with the next major release if it is not saved. The release managers take care of the removal in case no other person will

  5. An endangered translation may be saved by reaching at least 90% translated until at least two weeks before the release date of the next major release and a reviewer is found

Note that Crowdin is displaying the percentage translated for each language. It is the percentages shown on that page that act as reference. Considering the dates when releases branch are cut, the respective releases schedules act as reference.

Crowdin Management And Administration

Crowdin managers are persons with privileged access to Crowdin needed to upload new files to be translated to Crowdin. The rest of document should help future Crowdin managers to get familiar with Crowdin quickly.

Accepting Translators

We ask that Crowdin users who wish to help translate Opencast send a brief, understandable sentence regarding why they wish to help translate Opencast. Users who do not send this in should be asked via the Crowdin messaging system. Something as simple as 'I want to help translate $project into [language]' would more than suffice.

Versioning

Crowdin supports versions management by allowing the management of multiple branches. The relation of Opencast code repository branches to Crowdin branches follows the following convention:

The Opencast branch r/a.x corresponds to Crowdin branch a.x.

Crowdin does automatically detect equal strings across branches so there is no need to configure anything when a new branch is created.

Right after a cut of a new Opencast release branch r/a.x (from develop), the following actions must be performed:

  1. Download the translations from Crowdin branch develop
  2. Commit the downloaded translations into the Opencast branch r/a.x

Important: Do not upload translations to Crowdin!

To keep the Opencast code repository in sync with Crowdin, the translation sources should be uploaded to Crowdin as soon as possible.

Working with Crowdin CLI

The Crowdin CLI command line tool is used to synchronize the source language files and translations between the Opencast code repository and the Crowdin project Opencast.

The Crowdin CLI configuration can be found in /.crowdin.yaml

Please perform the following steps to get the tool running on your local host:

  1. Install Crowdin CLI tool
  2. Get the API key for the project Opencast
  3. Add the following line to your local Crowdin configuration file (~/.crowdin.yaml): the first line:
    api_key: <secret key>

Now you can use the Crowdin CLI command line tool to upload source language files and download translations.

To upload the translation sources from the Opencast code repository to Crowdin, use the following command:

crowdin --config .crowdin.yaml upload sources -b <branch>

Note that the branch <branch> will be automatically created if it is not yet existing.

To download the translations from Crowdin, use the following command:

crowdin --config .crowdin.yaml download -b <branch>

To show a list of files in the current project, use the following command:

crowdin --config .crowdin.yaml list project -b <branch>

Note: Do not upload translations to Crowdin. Our current subscription plan will exceeded otherwise.

To consider when adding a translation

Further Information