Is there a good guide to globalizing RoboHelp 10?

[Guest]

I  need to provide help in French, and the information I have found is spotty. - Thanks

[RoboColum_n_]

Hi Barbara.

There is all sorts of stuff dotted around but probably nothing that covers everything. Try looking at the following links:

• http://help.adobe.com/en_US/RoboHelp/8.0/RoboHTML/WS2AEC496D-947A-4556-A613-FB4D78D98BD0.html
• http://www.adobe.com/devnet-archive/robohelp/articles/localized_projects.html
• http://www.cmcandrew.com/robocolumn/archives/2752

If these don't help, come back with some specifics that you'd like more info on.

[Guest]

I'm using robohelp 10. I'm new to localization and trying to figure out what to expect. I read Ben Minson tutorial and RH manual and still have a couple questions:

ques 1) if the robohelp project gets translated to a different language, what is the purpose of selecting the target language from the language drop-down in project settings? Do I do this before sending the project to translation of after i get it back?

ques 2) Now, let's say i have 5 languages. Do i create a project for each language? this seems like a management nightmare when i need to make changes going forward. Even if i were to use one project, would i have a topic for each language where each topic is conditionalized? still sounds like a nightmare scenario going forward.

I think what i need is a best practice for managing localization using robohelp. Please advise.

[Guest]

Hi Jeff,

I am still working through this, but I think your best bet is to talk to a translation agency. Some of them handle the project localization and subsequent updates of translated projects. You want a translation agency that fully supports RoboHelp. In any case, if you send the project off to be translated, you should not have to change the project language before sending it. If the translation agency fully supports RoboHelp, you would send them the files to be translated (htm, hhc, etc) and you would also send the project files separately.

I need to document this for our international offices in the next few months. If you want, I can keep you posted.

Good Luck,

Barbara

[Peter Grainge]

Certainly Barbara's observation that using an agency that supports translating Rh projects is the way to go and they will guide you on best practice.

Barbara: I'm puzzled as to why you would send the whole project and then some of the files separately. If they have the whole project they have all they need. They would translate the source files and the internal files. From there they can either return a copy of the project for you to generate or they would generate. That's a matter for discussion with your chosen agency.

Prudence says to get a copy of the translated project back even if they generate the output and you don't need it. At least then if there is a falling out with them or they go bust you don't lose all the translation cost.

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@petergrainge

[Guest]

I think the process I may use is to send the RH project to translation service. I think they create one RH project for each language. Later on, if i make changes, i just make changes to my english project and send it again. Apparently, the translation service performs a difference between the new and old project and makes only the needed changes. As you suggest Peter, I would archive the translated RH projects for each language.

One thing that still puzzles me has to do with the RH project settings> language drop-down. What function does it perform? Do i need to prep my project in some manner?

[Guest]

I believe the RH project settings> language drop down is for localizing the project yourself. If you are having a translation service do it, they would be the ones using this option. Correct me if I am wrong…

[Peter Grainge]

It sets the default language that will be used for spell checking in the absence of other languages being defined for a topic or section of content.

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@petergrainge

[Guest]

oh boy, i'm having trouble parsing that sentence. What does " in the absence of other languages being defined" mean? Consider me a novice at localization.

[Peter Grainge]

When you create a topic it is given the default language. If you don't define a different language, that default is going to be what applies to the topic.

Try this. Check your default language and go to a topic. It will likely be the same as in most instances people don't change it. Now look at the content and you might see a few red lines to indicate something is not spelled correctly. Then change the language and pretty much everything will be shown because the language and therefore a different dictionary will be in force.

So if you don't define a different language in a topic, then the default language will still be in force.

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@petergrainge

[sumaya77]

Hi Peter,

I'm also working on a RH 10  webhelp project that will be translated into 20 other languages. I have read all the threads on localization and tried the links you provided, but the one to the Ben Minson article no longer works. It takes me to DevNet, but it dead ends there . The cmandrews link also no longer works.

Any idea how I can find the Ben Minson article? I'm just wondering what pitfalls to watch out for while I author the project in English. I believe it will go to a translation agency after I complete the webhelp. 

[Peter Grainge]

There's a similar request in another thread. I have asked Adobe to reinstate the page. Not sure when it will be done but hopefully soon. When it is, I will put a link on my site in the Snippets page.

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@petergrainge

[sumaya77]

Thank Peter. Can you let me know when it's on your snippets page?

[Peter Grainge]

Rather than me go back to the various threads about this, I will post on Twitter when it is back.

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@petergrainge