In this step the translator just works through his or her copy of the project in Help+Manual or their translation tool and translates it into the target language. There is nothing special about this, but the translator must observe the guidelines listed below.
Once the translation is finished it can be published and distributed with the translated version of your application. This is the end of this step of the process. The real work comes when you need to synchronize and the next version of the help and translate the changes.
Guidelines for the translator
The translator's job is only to translate. Making any structural changes to the project is strictly forbidden for the translator! For example, if the translator adds, moves or deletes topics these changes will be deleted the next time the language pair is synchronized!
Configuration: |
Check and translate all the texts used in Title & Copyright, Text Variables (see below), HTML Page Templates (the translator may need information from you here), Help Windows (window titles but not window names) and any text fields used in the relevant publishing options sections (HTML Help, PDF etc). |
Topic Options: |
Never under any circumstances make any changes to anything in the Topic Options tab except the Keywords. Everything else in this tab is off limits for the translator! |
The TOC: |
Only translate the captions. No other changes here are permitted. In particular, never make any changes to the structure of the TOC. Do not move or delete topics. When working in Help+Manual always translate the TOC captions before translating the topic header above the topic text. The header is normally linked to the caption and will only need to be translated if it is different. Translating the header first would break this link. |
Topic Headers: |
Only translate topic headers if they do not get translated automatically when you translate the TOC captions. (This is only the case if the header and the caption are different.) |
Topic Text: |
Translate everything here that is not protected (shaded text, cannot be edited without unprotecting). Be careful not to delete any hyperlinks and only translate the captions of hyperlinks, not their targets, which are the untranslatable topic IDs and anchor IDs. |
Text Variables: |
If the text contains variables go to Configuration > Common Properties > Text Variables and translate their definitions. Do not translate the variable names! |
Hyperlinks: |
Only translate the captions of hyperlinks. Do not make any changes to the links themselves or their targets. |
Keywords / Index: |
Only translate the keywords in the Keywords: editing box in the Topic Options tab on the left of the main editor window. Use the Index Tool in the Project tab to help you find the other topics where the same keywords are used. Do not translate the A-Keywords. These are never visible to the user and should remain in the original language because they are used in special links that must reference the original keyword names! |
