Content Management System Translation

Our client, Centene Corp., had a WordPress website which they wanted translated to Spanish.  Initially, the IT team set up the code in the posts tagged so that the English text would be duplicated with all coding below it in Spanish.

Challenges: The client only wanted to translate certain website, not all of them.  WordPress does allow you to export based on date/author range but it will not allow you to export out individual posts for translation. Tagging content also has to be done in full duplication. It cannot be done with “Spanish content” put in as the line of translation.  This is because Translation Memory extracts the translateables for translation from content like this so “Spanish Content” needed to have the full line of English content inserted to be translated.

Solution: We advised  the client on the WPML WordPress plug in (proxy solution) to export out content but it was not a solution that fit their needs as they would need to install and manage the plugin.  We then worked with the client’s  files and tested them extensively with our Translation Memory tools.  We went back and forth with their IT team to determine options or processes on their end and to show them how Translation Memory tools work with content to come up with a modified process.

We identified source coding issues and worked to solve them in the files.  We finally identified a workaround after getting the content exported out to xml, then filtered it for specific posts by title, locked all content not to be translated in the TM tool and did a translation of the remaining content.  Bilingual tagging would have required a complete manual process and client decided it was not in their budget although it was tested and presented as an option.

We will help you understand your options.  We test your files and advise accordingly before we quote – feasibility study. No surprises.  We understand tech and coding and will work to find an option that suits your needs and budget. There is no one solution that fits every company so let’s talk about your individual needs and requirements first.

 

Our client, Naturalizer, has an online catalog that they update on a monthly basis.  The CMS is a proprietary one.  The catalog is part of a French language site in Canada and updates to it require translation.

Challenges:  The client’s CMS is a proprietary one so we started off exploring their export utilities that are available to them.  The client decided on an export to Excel.  This requires a manual export and a manual import of content back in. Manual processes are always tricky because it increases your chances of error.  However, this is the process that the client felt worked best for them rather than a Middleware solution which they would have to implement with the API into the CMS. There is no one solution for every company…..

Solution: We receive the content in Excel which still has the html coding in it.  We have developed a standardized and documented process on our end for handling of their content so that html code is isolated from the text for translation in Excel first before we process the text in our Translation Memory tool.

In doing so, we often find breaks in their coding which we identify for them before it all gets published.  Because of repetitive content and the need for consistency, the use of Translation Memory and Glossary development (Termbases) is essential.  Our Termbases that integrate with our Translation Memory also store images of the shoes for further context for the translators.

We are also able to provide customized financial reporting for the client based on the number of items, styles and web color descriptions so that they have an idea of what each product file will cost.  It is only by standardizing the process that we are able to determine this so accurately.

Naturalizer Canada_French: http://www.naturalizer.ca/?lang=fr-CA

Our client, Maritz, developed a proprietary CMS which they wanted to have localized into 3 languages for demo purposes for their clients and then full localization into the language(s) needed by their clients.  The CMS was for an online Rewards program for a client’s vendors, distributors, partners, etc.

Challenges: The client was able to export out content in a variety of file formats i.e. xml, xsl, html, .properties, and shtml.  Multiple file formats were parsed out to create an aspx file of the final page so we had to understand how the elements worked together. A lot of the content was exported out in single strings or strings with 2 or 3 words and no context.  Some content was split (not written for localization) and rather than having a phrase all on one line, a hard break was used to separate it into 2 lines.  Context was an issue throughout.  There was also the issue of understanding how the program worked itself so that the translators understood roles and responsibilities of different roles in the Reward program.

Solution: The Preflight process was an important step in this process. Once all files were processed, we read through all content and prepared a preflight questionnaire for the client to answer.  We asked for definitions of different roles, clarification on acronyms, clarification on context of terms, etc.  From there, we created a complete glossary with the English term, definition (provided by client), context sample from content, translation of term, and the translation of context sample. This became a huge asset for the client moving forward and this is a good example of why technology matters in the translation of your content.

We also had the test site on a staging server so that the translation team could see it run and understand how the Rewards program worked.  Providing full context for translation impacts the quality of the translation.  Accented characters in html files were converted to html entities so that they displayed properly.  All file formats tested in QA and for consistency of terminology throughout. All files, once completed, were packaged in original directory structure including images with text which required translation.

The demo was a huge success and our client won the business of Cisco systems with that demo. We also sat in on that meeting as technical translation consultant to help them win the business.