Translating

Translation Editor (Strings)

Notice

As of February 28, 2023 the new editor becomes the default translation editor in Phrase Strings. The classic editor will still be available and can be used until the end of March 2023.

Translation work is performed in the translation editor. The editor provides meta information for translated strings, key management and search functionality.

The translation editor is split up into three functional areas within the browser window:

strings_translation_editor.jpeg

Two different versions of the translation editor are currently available:

  • The Strings editor is displayed by default when translating or reviewing keys. There are three methods to open it:

    1. From the main Projects page, hover over the desired project card and select Editor.

    2. From the Languages tab of the current project page, select Editor on the right side of the desired language locale.

    3. From the classic editor view, click on the Try new editor button at the top right of the screen.

    A series of videos has been prepared to demonstrate the new editor:

    Video Disclaimer

    Due to continuous improvements, the user interface may not be exactly the same as presented in this video.

  • The classic editor, which can optionally be used to translate and review keys by selecting Return to classic editor at the top right of the new editor.

Key List

The left-side section of the translation editor is used to find keys that require translation or review through different search modes and filtering tools. This section also allows to create new keys manually in the current project by selecting the Add key button at the bottom.

Search bar

Use the search bar at the top to look for words or phrases occurring in key names and translation copy. The search only finds translations within the languages selected from the drop-down menu on the right side of the search field. Available search languages are listed according to the languages set up in the current project.

The search bar supports different types of queries:

  • Exact match query:

    To search for exact matches, set the query into double quotes.

  • Wildcard search query:

    Use an asterisk as a wildcard to generalize the search query.

  • Tag search query:

    Filter search results by a specific tag.

    After typing tag: a list of available tags is displayed. Reuse the tag:keyword syntax to search for multiple tags at once. Enter multiple tags in the search field separated by commas.

  • Key search query:

    Filter search results by a specific key name.

Advanced search

Available for
  • Advanced plan

  • Enterprise plan

Get in touch with Sales for licensing questions.

Click on the button adv_search.jpeg next to the search bar to toggle advanced search and display additional options and fields above the key list.

When advanced search is toggled on, use the main search field at the top to find and display keys with content matching the search query. To narrow the search only to key names, use the Key name search field below. Case sensitive search mode is enabled by selecting the relevant checkbox under the main search bar.

The advanced search also allows to search for keys by tags. Click on the Add tags dropdown field to filter keys by selecting the desired tags in the list or by typing a specific tag in the Tags search field.

Sorting and filtering tools

Under the search bar, there is a drop-down menu to sort the key list. Use the available options to order keys and search results by best match, by alphabetical order, by last update or by age.

On the right side of the search bar, different filtering options are displayed by clicking on Filter. Select one or multiple options to filter keys and search results based on their translation or verification status, excluded state, plural forms or pre-translation state. Toggle the desired checkboxes to combine multiple filters.

For keys displaying only source language, filters are applied on the source key view.

Batch actions

At the top of the listed keys and next to each key there are checkboxes for multiple keys selection. Upon selection, the editor shows a new popup at the bottom of the screen allowing to perform a batch action on the selected keys.

Batch actions can be applied to selected keys both in single target language view and in multilingual view, but they are disabled for keys with only source language view.

Batch actions are:

  • Update status

    Show a drop-down with options to mark selected keys according to their verification (flagged/unflagged) or exclusion status.

    If the advanced review workflow has been enabled in the project settings, additional options are displayed to mark selected keys according to their review status.

  • Delete keys

    Delete the whole selected keys, not just their translations.

  • Add to job

    Select the 3dots_icon.jpeg button to display this batch action.

    Click on Add to job and choose a job from the list, or select Add job to create a new job based on the selection.

  • Add/remove tags

    Select the 3dots_icon.jpeg button to display this batch action.

    Enter the desired tags and add them to or remove them from the selected keys.

  • Pre-translate

    Select the 3dots_icon.jpeg button to display this batch action.

    Run pre-translation on selected keys to fill out any missing translations in the current target language. Pre-translation only translates empty translations and skip over keys that have already been translated.

  • Clear target translations

    Select the 3dots_icon.jpeg button to display this batch action.

    Discard any changes in the target language and revert to the previous content. The translation status is set to untranslated.

Source and Target Language Pane

The middle section of the translation editor is where translation and review of the selected keys are performed.

By default, keys are listed in cards including the source language text to be translated and/or verified, as well as the target language text field. Use the drop-down menu at the top left to select both source and target languages for the translation among the available project languages. If no target language is selected, the source key view is displayed.

To change the default card layout and how selected keys are displayed in the pane, click on View at the top right: a popup is displayed to enable single key view or the horizontal card layout. The card layout option is disabled for keys displaying only source language.

If enabled, single key view displays a full-height key card. Use the arrow buttons arrow_up_single_key_view.jpeg and arrow_down_single_key_view.jpeg in the footer at the bottom left to move between keys from the single key view.

The source and target language card provides these actions on the translations through a series of buttons and options:

  • Copy source to target

    Select the target language field of the card to display this button copy_source_icon.jpeg.

    Copy the content from the source language into the target language field.

  • Copy key name

    Hover the mouse on the key name at the top of the card to show this button copy_key_name_icon.jpeg.

    Copy the key name to clipboard.

  • Set character limit

    Select the source or target language field to display this button in the dots_icon.jpeg dropdown.

    Set the maximum number of characters a translation can contain. After typing a number in the popup, press Enter to apply the character limit.

    The character count is displayed at the bottom when editing translations for the key.

  • Exclude translation

    Select the source language or target language field of the card to display this option in the dots_icon.jpeg dropdown.

    Click on it if the selected key does not require a translation in the target language.

    The status label of the card is updated accordingly and saving any changes to the text is no longer possible.

  • Saving options

    Click on the Save button at the bottom right to save a translation.

  • Verifying options

    To verify or unverify a translation, use the flag icon at the bottom of each card.

    If unverified, the status label of the card is updated accordingly and provides the option to verify the translation.

  • Reviewing options

    If the Advanced review workflow has been selected in the current project settings, the status label of the card is updated accordingly and an additional button is available at the bottom of the card.

    Click on the translation field to apply any changes to the source or target language text. To complete the review and update the key status, hover over and click on Review.

  • Mark as minor change

    Select the target language field of the card to display this option in the dots_icon.jpeg dropdown.

    Enable it to make small changes (e.g. adding missing punctuation) that does not update the verification status of the translation.

  • ICU message preview

    In case of keys including translations with ICU MessageFormat syntax, select ICU_preview.png at the bottom left of the card to display ICU message preview in the contextual sidebar.

    The preview lists all variables and attributes of the selected translation and is updated according to text typed in the relevant fields. Styled ICU message fields are also supported.

    The preview shows an error state when selecting a translation with broken ICU message.

To display additional actions for editing or managing the translations, click on the dots_icon.jpeg button at the top right of the pane. Upon selection of the target language field, these options are available:

  • Save & next

    Select this option to save the current key translation and proceed directly to the next target language field.

  • Clear translation

    Select this option to discard any changes in the target language pane and revert to the previous content.

Multilingual view

When working with projects with multiple target languages, multilingual view allows the display and editing of different language translations in a single key card.

Use the drop-down menu at the top left to select multiple or all target languages among the available project languages. The language selector is updated with information about how many target languages have been selected.

Selecting more than two languages automatically enables the key multilingual view which provides a summary of the current status of all selected translations at the top right of each key card.

All translations displayed for each key card in the multilingual view are editable with relevant options according to their status. Batch actions are available when selecting multiple keys.

Sidebar

The sidebar on the right of the editor shows useful information that provide context and helpful tools when translating. Options and sections available in the sidebar are based on the item type currently selected in the editor: project, key card or source/target language field.

Sections displayed in the contextual sidebar can be hidden or rearranged according to user needs. To customize sections visualization, follow these steps:

  1. Click on View at the top of the source and target language pane and select Reorder sidebar from the dropdown.

    The Sidebar settings panel is displayed with a list of available sections.

  2. Use the handles on the left of the desired sections to drag and reorder them in the list.

    Relevant changes are instantly applied to the contextual sidebar on the right. Reordering is saved and replicated in all projects the user has access to.

  3. Click the toggle on the right of the desired sections to hide or show them in the contextual sidebar.

    Relevant changes are instantly applied to the contextual sidebar on the right.

Note

Some sections (e.g. Terms, Suggestions, and Quality Assurance) might not be visible in the sidebar if no content exists. As soon as there is content to display, they will appear in the order set through Sidebar settings.

Project context

When opening the editor, the sidebar includes a project overview. Click project_URL.jpeg to copy the project URL.

If jobs exist in the project, a job list is displayed with status information. To view details about each job, hover over the job and select View job context: the sidebar is updated with relevant information about keys included in the selected job.

Note

Only assigned jobs are listed in the contextual sidebar.

From the job context view, use options under the Mark as dropdown menu at the top right to edit the job or translation status.

Key and translation context

After selecting a card, the key details are displayed in the sidebar including several menus to interact with the key. At the top of the key sidebar, click on the icon project_URL.jpeg to copy the key URL or click on the gear icon to edit some of the key attributes. Use the description field to review or add a new description for the selected key.

Below the key name and description, these menus are also available:

  • References

    Show a preview of any existing reference files attached to the project.

    • Screenshots:

      To add new screenshots as a key reference, select Add screenshot from the new_template.jpeg menu at the top right. Select the gear icon at the top to access the screenshot management page of the project.

    • Figma previews:

      To add new Figma links as a key reference, select Add Figma preview from the new_template.jpeg menu at the top right. Once the link is added, a Figma preview is generated with real-time information about filename and latest changes at the bottom left. The Figma preview allows to scroll and zoom in/out through the attached file.

      Hover over the preview and select available options under the More more.jpeg menu to open a bigger in-app preview of the Figma link, open the file in Figma, edit the link or detach it from the key. Detaching a Figma preview does not delete the link, which is only detached from the key.

  • Quality assurance

    List all QA issues which have been found in the selected translation with relevant information.

  • Terms

    Display matches from the attached term bases and apply the correct translation for the desired terms in the editor.

  • Suggestions

    View hits from the built-in translation memory or any machine translation matches and apply them directly from the sidebar.

  • Tags

    Search for any tags applied to the key or create new tags.

  • Jobs

    View jobs where the key is included and add the key to existing jobs.

    Hover on a job in the list to display the Remove from job option: click on it to remove the selected key from the job.

  • Meta

    View additional metadata about the current key.

  • Activity

    • Comments tab

      Select this tab to leave notes or communicate directly with team members on keys and translations in the project.

      Collaborators are mentioned via @username and receive notifications and an e-mail. Replying to a comment notification e-mail adds a comment in the project.

      Use the buttons on the right of each comment to reply to or delete comments.

      Type # in the comment field to mention a language: a side list is displayed with a selection of available languages in the project.

    • Changes tab

      Change history of a translation.

      To restore a previous version of the translated text, hover over the desired change displayed in the history and click on the restore_icon.png icon.

To display additional actions for editing or managing keys, click on the dots_icon.jpeg button at the top right of the pane. Upon selection of the key card, these options are available:

  • Duplicate key

    Create a copy of the selected key inside the current project.

  • Copy key name

    Copy the key name to clipboard.

  • Copy link to key

    To get and copy the link to the page currently viewed in the editor.

  • Copy key ID

    To copy the key ID to clipboard.

  • Delete key

    To delete the selected key, not just its translation.

Classic Editor

Search and Key Navigation

The left-side section of the translation editor is used to find keys that require translation or review through different search modes and filtering tools.

Basic search

Use the search bar at the top to look for words or phrases occurring in key names and translation copy. The basic search only finds translations within the search language, selected from the drop-down menu on the left side of the search field. Available search languages are listed according to the languages set up in the current project.

The basic search mode supports different types of queries:

  • Exact match query:

    To search for exact matches, set the query into double quotes.

  • Wildcard search query:

    Use an asterisk as a wildcard to generalize the search query.

  • Tag search query:

    Filter search results by a specific tag.

    After typing tag: a list of available tags is displayed. Reuse the tag:keyword syntax to search for multiple tags at once.

  • Key search query:

    Filter search results by a specific key name.

Hover the mouse on the role_info.png icon on the right side of the search field to display the Search tips box with examples on how to use the above query types.

Advanced search

For more complex queries, select Advanced search at the bottom right of the search bar to switch to the advanced mode. Additional search fields and the Case sensitive checkbox are displayed to allow finer control over the results.

Note

Enter multiple tags in the Tags search field separated by commas.

Sorting and filtering tools

Under the search bar, there are two drop-down menus to sort and filter the search results.

Use the options available in the first drop-down menu to order results by best match, by alphabetical order, by last update or by age.

Use the options available in the second drop-down menu to filter results based on their translation state, verification state, excluded state, plural forms or pre-translation state. Toggle the desired checkboxes to combine multiple filters.

Batch actions

At the top of the listed keys and next to each key, there are checkboxes for multiple keys selection. Upon selection, the editor displays a new section on the right to perform batch actions on the selected keys.

Available batch actions:

  • Jobs

    Select Add to existing job and choose a job from the drop-down or Create new job to create a new job based on the selection.

  • Verification/Unverify

    Mark selected keys as verified or unverified.

  • Review (displayed if the advanced review workflow has been enabled in the project settings)

    Mark selected keys as reviewed.

  • Pre-translation

    Run pre-translation on selected key to fill out any missing translations in the current target language. Pre-translation only translates empty translations and skips over keys that have already been translated.

  • Tags/Untag

    Enter the desired tags and add them to or remove them from the selected keys.

  • Exclude translations

    Use the relevant button to mark selected keys as excluded or included translations.

  • Delete keys

    Use this option to delete the whole selected keys, not just their translations.

Source and Target Language Pane

The middle section of the translation editor is where translation and review of the selected keys is performed. The upper part displays text to be translated and/or verified in the source language, while the target language text is entered at the bottom.

Use the drop-down menu at the top left to select the source language for the translation among the available project languages. Similarly, choose the desired target language by using the drop-down menu in the pane below.

The target language pane allows to perform these actions on the translations through a series of buttons and options:

  • Copy source translation copy_icon.jpeg

    Copy the content from the source language into the target language pane.

  • Discard

    Use this button to discard changes in the target language pane and revert to the previous content.

  • Exclude

    Select this checkbox if the selected key or list of keys does not require a translation in the target language.

    Upon selection, the target language pane is greyed out to prevent typing in.

  • Editor help & shortcuts question_mark_icon.jpeg

    Click on this icon to open the Editor help & shortcuts window showing a list of all supported keyboard shortcuts. The available shortcuts are used to speed up working in the editor, especially with multiple keys.

  • Plural forms

    If working on a pluralized key, use this drop-down menu at the top right of the target language pane to quickly jump through all plural forms and select the desired one.

  • Autocomplete

    Select this checkbox to activate the Autocomplete feature.

    Available suggestions from any term base or machine translation are displayed while typing the translation in the target language pane.

  • Saving options

    Click on the Save button at the bottom right to save a translation.

    To activate the Save & next option, select it from the drop-down next to the Save button. Saving a translation automatically loads the next search result in the translation editor to speed up translating a set of keys. If the current key supports plural forms, saving a translation in Save & Next mode automatically opens the next available plural form in the editor.

  • Verifying options

    To verify or unverify a translation, use the Verify and Unverify buttons at the bottom of the target language pane. This also saves any changes made to the translation. If the Advanced review workflow has been selected in the current project settings, the Review button is displayed next to the Save button instead.

    When the Save & next mode is enabled, verifying and unverifying also loads the next search result afterward.

  • Minor change

    Select this checkbox to make small changes (e.g. adding missing punctuation) that do not update the verification status of the translation.

If a character limit has been defined in the advanced settings of the currently selected key, the character count is displayed at the bottom right of the target language pane when editing translations for that key.

Sidebar

The sidebar on the right of the editor offers several options to manage keys as well as multiple tabs showing useful information that provide context and helpful tools when translating.

At the top left, there is a group of icons allowing to edit Phrase_Gear.png, delete Phrase_Bin.png or duplicate copy_icon.jpeg the current key. It is also possible to get and copy the link to the page currently viewed in the translation editor by clicking on the Link to this page link_icon.jpeg icon.

To manually create a new key in the current project, select the Add key button at the top right.

Below this section, these tabs are displayed:

  • Context

    Find key descriptions, screenshots for further context, links to Context-View and other context tools.

  • Comments

    Leave notes or communicate directly with team members on keys and translations in the project.

    Collaborators are mentioned via @username and receive notifications and an e-mail. Replying to a comment notification e-mail adds a comment in the project.

  • Suggestions

    View the most relevant hits from the built-in translation memory and apply them directly from the sidebar.

  • All languages

    Find all available translations for a key and open each one in the editor by clicking the Open in editor button.

  • Term base

    Display matches from the attached term bases and apply the correct translation for the desired terms in the translation editor.

  • Meta

    View additional metadata about the current key (e.g. author, type, creation date, IDs, etc.).

  • Changes

    See the change history of a translation and optionally restore a previous translation.

  • Machine translation

    Apply machine translation according to the machine translation provider defined in the organization settings.

Editor Keyboard Shortcuts (Strings)

Some shortcuts are not available in editing mode.

Action

Shortcut

Saving progress

Save and next

Ctrl+Enter

Save

Ctrl+S

Managing translations

Copy source to target

Alt+O

Review translation

Alt+3

Mark as ready for review

Alt+2

Verify translation

Alt+V

Unverify translation

Alt+U

Exclude translation

Alt+E

Include translations

Alt+I

Navigation

Select next key

ArrowDown

Select previous key

ArrowUp

Deselect translation or key

Esc

Searching and filtering

Open Search

/

Open Filters

ArrowUp+F

Working with keys

Copy link to key

Ctrl+L

Add new key

Ctrl+J

Delete key

Ctrl+BackSpace

Add to job

Alt+J

Add tags

Alt+T

Sidebar commands

View term base

Ctrl+ArrowUp+E

View translation suggestions (TM)

Ctrl+ArrowUp+U

View meta section

Ctrl+ArrowUp+O

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