Engineering

Let’s discover Django i18n and translation basics and the importance of a localized version of the app for your users. A language switcher is usually the first or one of the first things you check if the app language is not handled automatically by your location. Moreover, it became a standard expectation for all top-tier apps to have a multilingual interface. In this article, we’ll cover the localization peculiarities of Django-based apps and how to localize your web app efficiently, considering not only the app features you have now, but the future updates too.

If there was a single word that describes what engineers look for in the localization process, what would it be? We found the answer long ago as we only started as a company. AUTOMATION is the solution to almost every challenge development teams face nowadays when building multilingual products. Our collection of tools for development teams is one of the most extensive and ensures the level of automation developers seek. There are also apps to provide translators with context, better manage community translation, customize QA checks and placeholders, and more!

Localization used to be a part of the app scaling strategy. But not anymore. Today, when users download a mobile application, they already expect it to match their language preferences. So no matter what stage of the app development you're in, localization should be part of it. The good news, localization is no longer a process that slows down everything. If done with the right technology, it is smoothly integrated into the development process and becomes an integral part of the app life cycle. Let's discuss automation in the iOS and Android app localization, sharing translations between app localization projects, and providing context for translators. You’ll also learn about string localization without resource files and export Android XML and Strings files if the sources were uploaded in other formats.

To release multilingual products successfully, you'll need to add localization to your workflow and make sure it's automated so it won't delay your next release. With Crowdin, localization can go in parallel with the development process. Meaning that each new text string created or modified by you goes to the translator into the Crowdin project. Translations get back to your repository in a few minutes. This way you'll have translations once you're ready to deploy your next update.

Crowdin releases a powerful RESTful API 2.0 that allows you to do almost everything that you’d otherwise do through the interface. With the new API, you can build a continuous localization cycle and integrate it into the development process. We’ve expanded the functionality covered, improved overall API structure and performance, and made it easier for engineering teams to connect with both Crowdin and Crowdin Enterprise. You can communicate with the Crowdin API through standard HTTP methods: GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, and DELETE.

GitHub Actions give you the flexibility to set up automated software development workflows. Instead of writing lots of scripts, you can create customizable workflows and connect a series of tasks. Like building, testing, releasing, and more. Because localization is an integral part of the development lifecycle, we’ve included Crowdin Action to GitHub Marketplace. You can now add localization to the automated workflow and build multilingual products with the power of automation (read – faster and with less effort).

Crowdin integrates with Azure Repos to help you release multilingual versions of your product faster. Sync content between Crowdin and your source code to integrate localization into the development cycle. Localize feature branches separately from the master branch, while they are still in development. Translators will immediately get notified of the new content to be translated. Files with ready translations will be pushed as pull requests to the l10n branch in Azure Repos repository. Ready to be merged.

The key idea behind developing Crowdin Mobile SDK was to help you make the apps you build accessible to global customers faster, keeping your data secure, and ensuring the high quality of translation. Hence, Over-the-Air Content Delivery allows you to update the translated strings of the iOS and Android apps instantly. Without submitting a new app version on the App Store or Google Play each time new translations arrive. Along with CDN, Crowdin Mobile SDK allows you to set up two additional features. Both Screenshots and Real-Time Preview are not aimed at your end-users but will help to give translators functional and visual context. Learn how you can integrate SDK extras in your app localization workflow and get better translations.

Make translations of your app accessible to your users in a click with Crowdin Over-the-Air Content Delivery for mobile apps. No need to release a new version of the app on the App Store or Google Play each time you want to publish new translations. Install Crowdin SDK on your app and deliver ready translations from your Crowdin project immediately. Two additional features will help to upload screenshots automatically and preview translations in the app in real-time.

As a member of the GitHub Student Developer Pack, we are always happy to see student projects becoming multilingual with Crowdin. That’s why we’re running a contest together with GitHub Education starting December 2 until December 27, 2019. The most active student using Crowdin for project localization receives a 100$ gift card (for App Store & iTunes or Google Play) + our cool swag. Some of the best student projects get a chance to be featured in the GitHub Student Gallery

Crowdin joins the GitHub Student Developer Pack program to help students build software that speaks different languages. If you are a student enrolled in the Pack program, you will get a free annual subscription to Crowdin Bronze plan. Your project is open-source? Request an open-source license and use Crowdin for free forever. We love open-source philosophy and support young professionals that seek real-world experience in software localization.

Being a developer you understand that to grow you need to be always learning, whether from books, visiting conferences, or reading articles like this one. Among the new essential skills, you should be acquiring right now is rightfully placed the ability to build software that supports localization.