What you'll learn in this article
Introduction to translations in SameSystem
How to keep track of your localization (translation) tickets in Jira
Prerequisites
Access to Download/Upload features in Lokalise
Access to the "SameSystem Translations"-page in SameSystem
Access to Jira
How localization works in SameSystem: A quick intro
Developers create new strings as they work on new features. Once they are deployed to production, they can be found on the translations page in SameSystem, currently named "System Strings". When there are new strings to be translated, a localization ticket in Jira will be assigned to the localization manager responsible for translations (Karolis N) by the developers/product team members.
New strings are now shown on the translations page, and will be downloaded (excel file) to a computer.
The file needs a slight adjustment before continuing (more on this further down), but once this is done, the file can be uploaded to Lokalise, our external translation platform.
Then strings are reviewed to ensure the translations are well-written with no grammar errors.
Minor edits and spelling errors can be edited immediately.
If the string doesn't make sense or should be rewritten reach out to the product team responsible for the feature and share your suggestion.
At this point, the strings are ready to be shared with our translators.
If it's just a few strings (ex. 1-10), you can share the string links directly, using the #string-translations Slack channel, and tag the @translators group.
For tasks concerning more than 10-ish strings, it's better to create a Task in Lokalise. Learn more about tasks here.
Once translations are completed, a file can be downloaded from Lokalise, and imported to the translations page in SameSystem. It will take 0-3 days until the translations are visible in the system.
Important: Check the system where the strings should appear after 1-3 days to ensure the import went through.
💡 For a more detailed, step-by-step guide on how to do the export/import explained above, check out this article.
Keeping track of localization tickets in Jira
Jira is the platform where you communicate with the product team on new (and sometimes old) strings.
When the product team needs translation(s), they create a ticket to work on new/existing features.
Organizing and understanding your localization tickets
Here's an example of a localization ticket:
Assignee (the one who should do the work):
Reporter (the one requesting the task): Automated by Jira, or created by someone in the product team.
Languages: Use this field to mark which languages the strings should be translated to. As translators work their magic, you can go in and remove languages that are done, to let the Reporter know the status of the translation process. Doing this is also a great help for you, as you quickly can click through tickets and see what's missing.
The comment field is where you can ask the team/reporter questions or share suggestions with the strings.
💡 Tip: If you're not sure who to reach out to, you can change the Comment activity to show History instead. Then, you'll see who made the ticket description and/or who assigned the task to you!
Ticket status
The ticket status changes automatically to In progress, as soon as you edit the language field.
Once all languages are translated, you can change the status to Done. This will let the team know that localization is done, so they can move on with their work and complete the feature project in Jira 💪