Localized help

hi all,

i hope correct place post this.

i online (chms) our products using robohelp 8 html - in english , french. set project described in article. [link removed moderator target article no longer exists.]
my company considering translating our products (and help) in 20 other languages. here 2 questions:

 

• the translation done subsidiaries of group belong to. unlikely have robohelp, , have no idea how knowledge of html be. how make sure see , don't mess proprietary robohelp conditional tags?
• as far snippets concerned, i've been putting both french , english in each snippet, avoid having snippet each language. i'm afraid either way it's going become unmanageable 20 languages... do?

we small company , technical writer. we're trying work out processes need set up, advice (or info on how work, managing updates) appreciated.
thanks help,
c.

 

message edited peter grainge. 29 march 2017

first of all, in awe knew day come , set project accordingly. hard work of getting ready localization retrofitting structure - you're structured correctly (except snippets, i'll to).

 

second, link article, because has important process in (and says better can). communicate translators! if work same company, can set online meetings can walk them through files, pointing out things should not change.

 

third, except sheer bloody number of languages, you're in better shape rh writers, because have kept crucial checking , generating steps in own hands. that's lot of work you, if can handle it, there's real benefit centralizing build process.

 

about questions:

 

1. control translators tags, find out using edit html. if using word edit source files, either quit or them open source editor notepad++ (http://notepad-plus.sourceforge.net/). it's free , displays visible text , html tags in different colors - way make sure visible text thing being edited. (of course, doesn't if have /divs drop-down/expanding hotspots, nothing's bulletproof.)

 

2. there isn't drawn line in sand number , size of snippets in project. think i'd feel safer splitting languages out , handing off snippet files in each language translation (again, using notepad++, or real notepad, or text editor). keep snippet filenames same between languages/projects, topic filenames.

 

3. updates - here's gets hairy. if total project small , doesn't include lot of pop-up topics off image maps, can generate word documents of old , new files (in english) , use file compare show changes. if company has word already, cheap , relatively painless. if project large and/or complex, going have keep records of changes english project - @ minimum, list of every topic file add, delete, or change - hand off translators. have done in past (thank heavens, i'm not working on localized project @ present).

 

4. updates 2 - start lining proofreaders now. bribe them, if necessary. going need check every file changed @ least touched translators.

 

and 1 final thing - of above assumes languages translating more or less european. right-to-left (arabic, hebrew) , double-byte (most asian) languages have own issues. i'm sure know that, , html gurus in robohelp community have come clever workaround content, don't despair.

 

sorry go on long, localization has been issue of interest me long time. luck!

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