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This article will explain how to contribute translations to ControlShift's translation manager, which controls the default text that is shared by all organizations using the platform in that language. This default text includes things like: the Start a Campaign and Sign buttons, First Name and Last Name, Log In, etc.
It does not include pieces of content that we consider "organization specific." Organization-specific texts are pieces of content that we expect to be different for each customer. These pieces of content include things like: privacy policies, terms of use, automatic emails to signers and creators, etc.
If you're looking to customize the text of organization-specific content, please see: https://controlshiftlabs.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/sections/200484318-Editing-Content-Using-CMS-Content.
If you're looking to add a new supported language to your site, you may not need to contribute translations for the default text. Please see: https://controlshiftlabs.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/203091638-Supporting-Additional-Languages for a list of already-supported languages and information about using these supported languages.
If you're interested in contributing translations to ControlShift, you'll first need to get in touch with us. Send us a support email that includes the language you're interested in translating and we'll add you to our Translation manager, Transifex.
Getting Started with Transifex
Once you've been added as a new ControlShift translator, you'll receive an email from our translation manager, Transifex.
If you already have an account on Transifex, you can accept the invitation and log in to get started. Otherwise, you'll need to follow the link to create a new account. Once you've created your account, or logged in, you'll be shown the team page for the language that you've been assigned to translate. From here you can see the other people working on your language's translations.
From this screen, click the Dashboard link.
On the Dashboard page you can see the progress of various translations. At the top of this page, click the Translate button. 
This will bring you to the Resource page. Before you can begin translating, you'll need to select your language from the Choose a Language dropdown. If you're only providing translations for one language, that should be the only language you see in the dropdown. If you don't see the language you're looking for, stop here and contact Kristy or your ControlShift organization contact person.
Translating a New Language
If you're translating a newly added language, there are two ways to get started. From the Resource page, you can choose to go to a specific resource or you can choose to view all resources.
Translating a specific resource means that you'll be translating all of the keys included in that that file/folder. Generally, translations are grouped by where they appear on the site. If, for example, you choose to translate the views_events resource from the list on the Resources page, you'll be translating text that appears on the site's event pages. (Note though that some translations are shared across multiple screens.) Translating by resource may make the project seem more manageable and may provide useful context on where the text appears.
If you'd prefer to work your way through a larger list, click the All Resources option at the bottom of this page. This will show you a full list of all strings.
To actually add a translation, click the English string on the left side of the page. This will highlight that translation key, and the translations box will show on the right side of the screen. Click into the translation box and type the translation. After you've entered the translation, either click the Save button or click your computer's Tab button to automatically advance to the next translation.
See the Tips section of this article for information about special types of translations and useful resources for translators. Go to Tips.
If you decided translate by resource, work your way through the list of translations. When you've completed the resource, click the button in the top-left of your screen (which looks like < [name of the resource you're translating]) immediately below the Transifex logo to return to the full resource list and move to the next resource.
Please note that translations will not appear immediately. Create a support ticket, and we'll pull your new translations to make them live.
Adding New Translations to an Existing Language
If your organization has enabled an existing language, you may find that it is not complete and English is being displayed on your site. Even if the translation was previously completed, new translations are often needed for new features. (You can follow our Weekly Release Notes to be notified of new features and new translation requirements.)
To contribute new translations to an existing language, log into your Transifex account and go to the Resources page.
From the Resources page, it's usually fastest to click the All Resources link.
From the Translation page, you'll have two options.
If you're looking to provide a translation for a specific piece of English text, click into the search box. You'll then be shown a list of search terms. Click or type the Text option. Once the Text search term is selected, enter some or all of the English text that's appearing on your site. Then, hit enter. You'll now be shown a list of keys that match the words you've entered. If the list of results is too extensive, you can also click the Untranslated button to filter results.
Once you've located the correct key, click the appropriate English string on the left side of the page. Once it's selected, click into the translation box on the right side of the page and type the new translation. After you've entered the translation, either click the Save button or click your computer's Tab button to automatically advance to the next translation.
If you're looking to finish a full set of translations, don't enter any search terms into the search box. Instead click the Untranslated button near the top of the page. This will show you all of the keys in need of translation and you can begin working through the list.
See the Tips section of this article for information about special types of translations and useful resources for translators. Go to Tips.
Please note that translations will not appear immediately. Create a support ticket, and we'll pull your new translations to make them live.
Editing Existing Translations
If your organization is using the toolset in a language other than English and you see a mistranslation, you can update the text in Transifex.
To contribute new translations to an existing language, log into your Transifex account and go to the Resources page.
From the Resources page, it's usually fastest to click the All Resources link.
From the Translation page, click into the search box. You'll then be shown a list of search terms. Click or type the Translation Text option. Once the Translation Text search term is selected, enter some or all of the mistranslated text that's appearing on your site.
Once you've located the correct key, click the appropriate English string on the left side of the page. Once it's selected, click into the translation box on the right side of the page and type the new translation. After you've entered the translation, either click the Save button or click your computer's Tab button to automatically advance to the next translation.
See the Tips section of this article for information about special types of translations and useful resources for translators. Go to Tips.
Please note that translations will not appear immediately. Create a support ticket, and we'll pull your new translations to make them live.
Tips for Translators
The following are some guidelines and/or tips that may help as you translate:
1. Shared: Transifex translations are shared by all organizations using that language. Because these translations are shared, we ask that translators stick as close to the English text as possible. Also, please do not add organization-specific information or terms to the translations.
2. Informal: For languages with formality rules (e.g. tú vs. usted in Spanish, Du vs. Sie in German, etc.), we ask that you use informal pronouns and conjugations.
3. Variables: Some translations include variables which signal that the translation will change based on the context in which it's used. (For example, in the image below, the %{event_title} variable will be replaced with the title of the cancelled event, making the resulting sentence something like: "The event 'Jane's Tea Party' has been cancelled".) Variables are wrapped in %{ [variable] }.
For translations to work correctly, the variables must remain as-is. Do not translate or alter these variables. Instead, when entering a translation, click the orange-highlighted variable in the English key to automatically insert the matching variable into your translation. Note that with the display of the variable it can sometimes be difficult to see if there's a space between the variable to the rest of the translation. Variables do not contain ending (or leading) spaces, so you'll need to include these in the translation.
4. Counts: Some translations include a %{count} variable. For these translations, you'll be asked to provide separate translations that can be used when the count is 1 or more. The number of versions that you'll be asked to provide depends on the language you're translating into. For these translations, you'll see buttons at the top of the translation box. Click the buttons to enter the appropriate text for that count. (For example: "Permanently delete the one associated decision maker" vs. "Permanently delete the 5 associated decision makers")
As with other variables, you can click the orange count variable to insert the number variable into your translation. You won't be able to save your translations until you've provided a translation for each count condition.
5. Glossary: In the right translation panel, some translations will have a number next to Glossary. This number means that there's an explanation of a term included in this translation string. Click the Glossary button to see the definition.
6. Context: Some strings will also have instructions in the Context tab. These 'string instructions' are specific to a single string. The context tab will also tell you where the translation appears (e.g. in the image below, the translation appears in the base folder).
7. History: In the History tab, you can see any changes that have been made to the translation.
8. Suggestions: Finally, once some translations have been entered, you may begin to see suggested translations in the Suggestions tab. The suggestions tab will show suggested translations, the English text that they've been used for previously, and the percentage match. At the bottom right of each row, are three buttons. You can click the arrows to see the difference between the suggestion's source text and the source text that you're translating. The square button will add the suggestion to the translation box. The X button will remove the suggestion from the list of suggestions. Note that the percentage match is case sensitive. Also, any suggestions that are 100% matches will be used automatically.
Getting Notified When New Translations are Needed
At ControlShift we're continuously working to improve the platform and make it easier for admins and supporters to use. New features, and updates to existing features, often use new or reworded text strings which require translations. If your organization is using the platform in a language other than English or Spanish, then you may wish to be notified when new translations are needed. There are three ways to keep track of new translations:
- Follow our Weekly Release Notes. These notes are released every few weeks and include all of the updates/bug fixes/new features that our engineering team has been working on. In addition to keeping you apprised of changes to the platform, the notes also include a dagger/obelus notation (†) when a new text string was added.
- Subscribe to notifications in Transifex. Transifex has notification functionality within the app. As a translator, you can configure your account to receive notifications when the base language (English) is updated.
- Check Transifex on a regular basis. If you'd prefer not to get emails, then we'd recommend checking Transifex on a regular basis. Transifex's dashboard shows progress bars for each language so you'll be able to see how much is left to translate in your locale.
As always, if you have any questions or need any help with translations, please let us know.
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