{"id":72,"date":"2012-06-21T14:00:13","date_gmt":"2012-06-21T12:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wprealm.com\/?p=72"},"modified":"2012-06-21T14:00:13","modified_gmt":"2012-06-21T12:00:13","slug":"translate-wordpress-part-i-getting-started-and-adding-support-for-a-language","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/wprealm.local\/translate-wordpress-part-i-getting-started-and-adding-support-for-a-language\/","title":{"rendered":"Translate WordPress Part I: Getting Started and Adding Support for a Language"},"content":{"rendered":"

Reading new users’ posts on the Polyglots blog has made it clear that the structure and processes by which languages are supported in WordPress isn’t obvious to everyone. I hope this post will help to shed some light on how it’s done and how you can play a part.
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Downloading a translated version of WordPress<\/h3>\n

WordPress.org<\/a> is the website where you can download the latest version of WordPress, in American English. Depending on your browser’s language settings, however, you may notice a message saying that “WordPress is also available in (language name)”. Click that, you will be taken to a site similar to WordPress.org, where you can download WordPress, this time fully translated to the language you’ve clicked.<\/p>\n

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Try it! Here’s the page for English of the United Kingdom<\/a> (yes, it’s supported! Is it not awesome<\/del> grand?). Or, for a more exotic experience, take a look at WordPress in Uyghur<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Where do the translated versions come from?<\/h3>\n

WordPress’s strings are all automatically loaded to an installation of an online translation tool, called GlotPress. This installation lives at Translate WordPress<\/a>. If you visit that site, you’ll notice that there are several projects listed there besides WordPress. More on that later on.<\/p>\n

Each language team translates those strings and when a new version of WordPress is released, they build a downloadable package, for their respective, translated wordpress.org sites.<\/p>\n

These sites (such as http:\/\/en-gb.wordpress.org\/<\/a> and http:\/\/ug.wordpress.org\/<\/a>) are called Rosetta sites<\/strong>. They have special tools available to not only generate the language files in their correct location on WordPress\u2019s directory structure, but also to create completely translated packages for download. The advantage of this approach is that the core software is aware of these sites and can thus auto-update a specific language\u2019s WordPress installation.<\/p>\n

To get an idea of how many languages are supported right now, take a look at this page on Translate WordPress<\/a>. Of course, not all of them are active or complete, but it should give you an idea of how popular WordPress has become in other languages.<\/p>\n

Your language is already supported, and you want to help with translation<\/h3>\n

You should definitely help out if you can. Considering that WordPress’s strings can easily run into the several thousands, an extra hand is almost always welcome.<\/p>\n

The first step is to get in touch with the current team. This is generally done by visiting the corresponding language site’s contact page (usually <languagecode>.wordpress.org\/contact) and sending the team a message. Each team works in a different way of course, but the process of suggesting either new or corrected translations is documented on Translate WordPress’s Getting Started<\/a> page. It is proper etiquette to introduce yourself to the team before starting to contribute, so that other members can contact you with guidance.<\/p>\n

Should you notice that the WordPress translation to your language is dormant or hasn’t been maintained in a while, you should first try to get in touch with the team to enquire about the status of the translation effort. Keep in mind that translating WordPress is a voluntary endeavour and as such, you should refrain from making demands<\/strong>. Everyone has lives with different priorities and translating WordPress might not always be at the top of that list. If having WordPress in language x is crucial to you, consider taking over the lead of the translation team (but only after you’ve made absolutely sure that the previous team is aware of it).<\/p>\n

Even though it’s rare, it is possible that sometimes teams or team leads disappear from the radar and are impossible to reach. Please be aware that this is one of the very few circumstances in which the leads of the Polyglots’ community will intervene directly <\/strong>in substituting one team’s\u00a0lead for another. Teams should organize themselves, without the need for chaperons. Also, the leads cannot conceivably be familiar with the dynamics of more than a hundred languages and cultures currently active.<\/p>\n

I hope that the above introduction can at the very least make it clear that we polyglots like to think of ourselves as a very polite and civil group of people \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

Prepare your request<\/h3>\n