Localization in RH 7

[azi_us]

Hello Forum friends,
I have created an online help project using webhelp output and now need to work with translators to convert it to French, Italian, Japanese, and German. Please advise if there is a streamline method to do this. I am planning to output to a Word document, have the agency translate it and return a Word file to me. Then I would use RH 7 to import the file and create new projects for each language. Would the import retain the format so each topic will be in a separate .htm file (as I had it done in English)? I am hoping the files don't need to be renamed and the links to help in the code should stay the same. Thank you.

[Peter Grainge]

I believe what you need to do is find a translation agency that specialises in dealing with RoboHelp projects. They use specialised software so that they can track changes as the project develops.

You would give them an English version and they would give you back copies in the required languages. In future you would give them an updated English version and they can track the changes and apply them to the other languages. Don't forget it is not just the topics that need translating, there is the TOC and the Index as well.

Hopefully someone with more hands on experience of the process can add something.

[Guest]

In order for the .htm files to retain the same names and all the same links, you should probably have a copy of the project for each language. That way, if you import or drop in the translated version of each .htm file, all the links and everything else should be preserved (providing that the translators were careful and didn't shake up any of your code).

If the translation agency works with HTML files, I would give them those and cut out the Word step.

--Ben

[azi_us]

Thank you Peter and Ben. I found an agency that does the translation using HTML files and we won't have to deal with Word. The agency didn't recommend exporting to Word as it will imbed unwanated characters that will cause problems in html output in the future.
Does anyone know what files in the RH project will be used to replace the text for each language? Are they only the topic files or will there be additional files for TOC, Index, etc.? thank you

[Peter Grainge]

The TOC, Index and Glossary will all need to be translated. If the agency has experience of dealing with RH projects, they will advise you. If they don't you might want to think about creating a very small project with just a few topics and a small TOC etc and working with them on that. Indeed, even if they do have the requisite knowledge, you might want to try that to help you get to grips with something in a bite size chunk.

[Newsgroup_User]

Use Sisulizer to localize the HTML and image files.
http://www.sisulizer.com

The process is very simple:
1) Select the directory where the HTML files are. Sisulizer scans them and
shows all HTML files as WYSIWYG
2) Lets Sisulizer to create a translation package and send it to your
translator. He or she translates it.
3) When you get translated project file back you just import it to your
Sisulizer project and finally let Sisulizer to create localized HTML file.

Whenever you change the original files just rescan the project file and
Sisulizer will pick up the new page and items. Send project file again to
translator and he translates the new items. Finally your repeat step 3 again
and your localized HTML files a up to date.

Best regards,
Jaska

[azi_us]

Thanks. This is a very useful tool. How does it handle graphic images? If we need to insert images after translation in different languages, does it remember the link names?

[Newsgroup_User]

Yes. If you translate an image Sisulizer remembers the file name of the
translated image. After that you free to edit the image file and every time
you open Sisulizer project it will check if a linked file has been modified
and if it has Sisulizer updates the image data in the project file.

Best regards,
Jaska

[JimGilliam]

I can't believe that RH doesn't incorporate a translator, but the documentation leads users to believe that version 7 does.

Go to Google and click LANGUAGE TOOLS. It can convert your doc into almost any language... for free. No, it's not 100% perfect, but use Unicode (UTF-8) and then translate your doc using Google. It's very good.

Also, RH7 team: Your Help documentation leaves much to be desired... content and grammatics are lacking.

[perttime]

quote:

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Originally posted by: JimGilliamGo to Google and click LANGUAGE TOOLS. It can convert your doc into almost any language... for free. No, it's not 100% perfect, but use Unicode (UTF-8) and then translate your doc using Google. It's very good.

Also, RH7 team: Your Help documentation leaves much to be desired... content and grammatics are lacking.

---

Good luck trying to sell the product of a Google translation to a customer... It might leave much to be desired...
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On the topic of Localization:

Is there some way to add more languages to RH7?

I am working on Localised WebHelps now and it looks like I can cover some non-supported languages as if they were English, but using translated .lng files.

Arabic and Hebrew seem a bit more challenging: I think I need to manually tweak a few files in the output.

[azi_us]

Thank you everyone. Due to the short timeframe for our project to be translated, I turned over the files to an agency who works with RH7 and can work in the same environment. I am waiting to get the files back so that I can update more images as the product keeps changing. It would have been a lot easier if RH did provide a translator and I agree with Jim that I was under the impression that it does when we bought the tool. For now, I will manage with an outside agency and for future projects, I think a combination of Sisulizer and RH7 can do the job. Of course, we need time to test it out.