Table of Contents

  1. Quick Links
  2. Registration and login
  3. Setting user options
  4. Searching files
  5. Translating with Pootle
  6. User Roles and Permission
  7. How to review

Pootle User Guide for Translators

Registration and login

  • Fill in your username, password and a valid e-mail address
  • Click on the Register Account button, and an activation code will be sent to the e-mail address you've provided
  • When you receive the activation code and login, detailed by e-mail, go to the activation page and fill them in
  • Click on the Activate Account button

Setting user options

If you login for the first time, you need to configure your user option and get proper privileges.

  • Configure user options
    • Click on "My Account" and then "Change options" ( Account Settings)
    • Select desired projects and languages from lists and save changes. You can select mutiple projects and languages
    • Now, you can see quick links of the projects of selected languages on the 'My account' page
  • Get proper privileges
    • The default privilege of login user is "suggestion", which only allows suggestion, not submission
    • You need to make sure with the Translation Maintainer if you have a proper privilege before starting work
    • The Translation Maintainer will modify your privileges according to the needs of the project

Searching files

There are two ways to reach the files for translation:

  • Once your user page is set up, you can reach the files directly through the links in it
  • Another way to find the file you wish to translate is through the main page. The main page displays two categories - "Languages" and "Projects":
    • Choosing a language will give you the list of all projects available for translation into this language
    • Choosing a project will give you the list of all languages which can be translated for the project
    • Once you have chosen both the project and the language, you'll get a list with the files available for translation

Translating with Pootle

  • Each file available for translation is accessible in two ways - "Quick Translate" and "Translate All":
    • "Quick Translate" shows only the fuzzy and untranslated entries
    • "Translate All" shows all the entries in the file regardless of their translated-status
  • Select a project you want.
  • Click on "Show Editing Functions" on the top navigation bar
  • You can see all the files/folders and respective functions listed
  • Click on "Quick Translate" or "Translate All" from the top navigation bar or each file/folder.

If specific tasks are assigned to you, you can see the strings which are only assigned to you:

  • Select a project you want.
  • Click on "Show Editing Functions" on the top navigation bar
  • You can see the "(Quick)Translate My Strings" links of the files/folders which you're assigned to are active
  • Click on "(Quick)Translate My Strings" for the file/folder you want to work. It'll show you the strings which are assigned to you.

When you get the translation page, you'll see a two-column table, with the strings to be translated on the left, and the current translation on the right. The current edited entry appears as a text box with the options "Skip" and "Suggest" or "Submit" below it. Naturally you can enter text in the text box and submit it or skip to the next entry.

If you want to jump to another entry, you can get there by placing the mouse pointer over the row you want. Now you can see the "Edit" link next to the column of the current translation, just click on it to move to that row. Note: this terminates "Quick Translate" and switches to "Translate All" mode.

Note: Only if you have "translate" permission, you can see the "Submit" button, otherwise you can only send suggestions ("Suggest"). If you can't see the "Submit" button and you feel that this is wrong, please ask your Translation maintainer to set proper permissions for you.

User Roles and Permission

Unregistered Users may:

  • view the progress of translations
  • download PO files

Registered Users may additionally:

  • make suggestions for translation

Translators may additionally:

  • review and accept/reject suggestions
  • submit or overwrite translations

Translation Maintainers may additionally:

  • set user privileges within their projects
  • create and assign tasks within their projects
  • submit files from their projects into VCS repositories

How to review

If you have permission to "Review", you're able to accept or reject suggestions.

  • Select a project, a specific folder or file you want
  • Click on "Show Editing Functions"
  • Click on "Review Suggestions"
  • This shows the strings with suggested translations one by one
  • Review the suggested string and click "Accept" or "Reject"
    • If the suggestion is accepted, it is submitted
    • If it is rejected, the existing translation will not be changed.
  • You can skip to the next suggestion by clicking "Skip"

Review Policy:

  • Review only translations into languages you understand perfectly (e.g. native speaker)
  • You should accept a suggestion if it is valid
  • Out of multiple valid alternatives, choose the one that is easiest to understand