PrestaShop’s 8.1 beta release was announced a few months ago. The stable release is now just around the corner. While it brings new features, a new version also means new strings. A file containing all 8.1 strings has been pushed to Crowdin, and is ready for translation!

8.1 strings are available for translation

Translators, proofreaders… your project needs you! Feel free to take a look at those new strings and help your language reach 100% translation. 💪 In this article, I will address the key elements of the translation process of this new catalog.

New strings and completion rates

If you visited Crowdin in the last few days, you probably noticed that the completion rates for all projects have slightly decreased and that the projects that used to be 100% translated and validated are no longer complete. Don’t worry, that’s completely normal! New untranslated and unapproved strings were added to the project. To get back to a 100% completion rate, all the new strings should be translated and validated.

Mistakes in the source strings

Even though the wording is always reviewed when a pull request is submitted, some mistakes could have been missed. So, don’t hesitate to let us know if you notice something wrong so that we can correct it. Note that, despite the string freeze, we will wait for about 3 or 4 more weeks before adding the corrections to Crowdin. After that, we won’t be able to add any new wording. If you spot a mistake, please tag me (@lea.delin) in the “Comments” section of the string, or contact me directly!

Context

The 8.1 version has not been released yet, so some strings may appear a bit unclear because of a lack of context. If this is the case, please don’t hesitate to ask for help! You can open an issue in the “Comments” section of a string and I will do my best to answer your questions. In any case, don’t forget that you will still be able to edit the translations when the new version is released.

A note on variables

If you don’t know what a variable is, it’s a value that can change depending on its context in the software. On Crowdin, these variables are highlighted in green in the source string and must not be translated, as they can result in major software bugs. In the Crowdin editor, you can simply click on a variable to copy and paste it into the target language. Always make sure to copy and paste the variable exactly as displayed on the original string!

🔧 The QA checker is here!

After 9 years, the translation project finally steps up in quality and consistency! For the release of PrestaShop 8.1’s translation catalog, the quality assurance checker – or QA checker, for short – has been enabled on the translation project.

❓ Alright, but what does that change for us?

Some translation elements will now be checked to make sure that translations are consistent and don’t cause any unwanted bugs. Target translation string edits will still have to be made manually after applying the checker.

The QA checker currently checks for:

Empty translations: if the source string contains data but your translation doesn’t, an error message will be displayed.

Tag mismatch: if tags (as well as ID attributes and CDATA tags) are inconsistent between the source and the translation, you will receive an error message. This is useful for strings that may contain tags used in code.

Spaces mismatch: if there are any missing spaces or too many spaces in a row, an error message will be displayed.

Variable mismatch: if the source string contains variables, they must be copied and pasted as such, and not translated. If the variables differ from the source string, a warning message will be displayed.

Special characters mismatch: if a special character, such as a currency sign, a bracket, or a quote is missing, a warning message will be displayed.

”Incorrect translation” issues: if an issue is open indicating that the “current translation is wrong”, a warning message will be displayed.

ICU syntax: if the ICU message syntax isn’t correct, an error message will be displayed.

Duplicate translation: if the translation already exists, an error message will be displayed.

Note that since this is the first time QA checks are enabled for the project, some settings may still need adjustment. Of course, if you want to give your feedback or if you have any questions, feel free to contact me at [email protected] or on Crowdin ✉️

If you wish to learn more about the QA checker and how it works, you can check out the Crowdin documentation.

Translation guide: all you need to know

Are you new to the Crowdin translation project or simply curious about it? Feel free to check out the PrestaShop translator’s guide, available here. In it, you’ll learn how to contribute to the translation project, the Do’s and Don’ts of translation, proofreading, and many other things.

Let’s keep in touch

If you have not joined us on Crowdin yet, it is never too late! 😉 You can also

join us on Slack

! 🙌