Translating multilingual content: end-to-end process
By default, XTM Connect – Drupal creates projects for a single language combination. Normally, if Translation requesters send particular content to XTM Cloud, for translation into multiple target languages, that same content will be sent in the form of multiple projects. Each project will be for a different target language.
If required, Translation requesters can also send single source content items for translation into multiple target languages in a multilingual project. This is a single project that contains more than one job item. Each job item contains the same source text, but for translation into a specific target language. A multilingual project is much easier to manage than multiple individual projects.
To enable Translation requesters to create multilingual XTM Cloud, projects, the Enable multilingual projects in XTM setting must be selected in the Provider configuration. Otherwise, if a Translation requester selects the Request multiple translations button when sending multilingual content for translation, multiple projects will be created, each one for a different target language.
To create a multilingual translation project, follow the steps below.
1. Creating or selecting content in Drupal
In Drupal, use the Content screen to create content for translation. You can also send existing content for translation. In Drupal, there are two places in which you can send content for translation:
Content screen (described in step 2. below) or
Sources tab screen in the Translation screen (described in step 3. below).
In both cases, the source language content item for which you request translation is then sent to the Cart, which is the Drupal translation projects queue (described in step 4. below).
2. Working in the Drupal Content screen
The Content tab screen contains all source language content items that exist on your Drupal website. You can only send one source language content item for translation into multiple languages in a multilingual project.
Select the Content button in the main tool bar at the top of the screen. In the Content screen, you see a list of existing content items.
In the content items list below the Apply to selected items button, select the source language content item that you want to send for translation. To do so, select the checkbox next to its item name, listed in the TITLE column.
If the content item you want to send for translation is not displayed, use the filters at the top of the Sources tab screen to find and display it. For more details, see Filtering content items (Sources tab screen).
If the content item you want to send for translation does not exist yet, create it. For details, see Content screen actions.
In the OPERATIONS column, on the right of the screen, select the down arrow on the action button in the line containing the content item you want to send for translation.
Select the Translate option. The Translate tab screen, containing settings for your translation, is displayed.
Send the selected source content item for the multilingual project to the translation queue, which is called the Cart. To do so, in the OPERATIONS box, select the Add to cart button.
Go to step 4., Working in the Drupal Cart tab screen, below.
3. Working in the Drupal Sources tab screen in the Translation screen
If you have not selected a source content item for translation in the Content screen, you can do so in the Sources tab screen. There too, you can select a source language content item and send it for translation in a multilingual project.
Select the Translation button in the main tool bar at the top of the screen.
In the Translation screen, select the Sources option. In the Sources tab screen, you see a list of existing source language content items.
In the content items list below the CHECKOUT box, select the content items you want to send for translation. To do so, select the checkbox next to each relevant item name, listed in the TITLE (IN SOURCE LANGUAGE) column.
If the content items you want to send for translation are not displayed, use the filters at the top of the Sources tab screen to find and display them. For more details, see Filtering content items (Sources tab screen).
If you have used the filter to find a set of items that you want to translate, you can select them all at the same time.
To do so, select the checkbox at the top of the screen, on the left, next to the TITLE (IN SOURCE LANGUAGE) column header.
Send the selected source content item for the multilingual project to the translation queue, which is called the Cart. To do so, in the OPERATIONS box, select the Add to cart button.
Go to step 4., Working in the Drupal Cart tab screen, below.
4. Working in the Drupal Cart tab screen in the Translation screen
You request translations in individual multilingual projects in the Cart tab screen. This is the only place where you can do so.
To display the Cart tab screen, select the Cart tab.
In the Cart tab screen, you see a list of existing translation jobs.
First specify whether an item's existing source language is not to be used as the source language for this translation. To do so, select the Enforce source language checkbox. Then use the Source language dropdown, which is displayed below it, to select a new source language for this translation. Your setting will apply for this translation, but not in future.
Now, if you have not already done so in the Sources tab screen, choose which languages you want your content to be translated into. You can select one target language, or several or all target languages, as required. Select target languages for your translation from the Request translation into language(s) dropdown:
To select one target language, click on it. It is displayed with a dark background.
To select several target languages that are listed next to each other, click on the top one. Hold down the Shift key on your keyboard and then click on the bottom one. The selected target languages are displayed with a dark background.
To select several target languages that are not listed next to each other, click on the top one. Hold down the Ctrl key on your keyboard and then click on the languages you require. Each selected target language is displayed with a dark background.
Now make settings for your multilingual project, in the XTM ONE-CLICK MULTILINGUAL PROJECTS section below the language selector:
UI label
Description
XTM translator dropdown
Select the required (XTM Cloud) translation provider.
XTM project template dropdown
When you select the required (XTM) translation provider in the XTM translator dropdown, the XTM Cloud project templates assigned to that provider are listed in this XTM project template dropdown. Select the required XTM Cloud project template from this dropdown.
An XTM Cloud project template contains default settings for the source and (if required, multiple) target languages, segmentation and access rules and other features. Using a project template, Project Managers can create projects more easily, quickly and consistently because they do not need to select all required settings manually.
Automation feature, XTM Cloud Project template editor
In the XTM Cloud Project template editor, one of the settings for an XTM Cloud project template is the Automatically start the project checkbox in the Workflow tab screen. If this checkbox is selected, for a particular project template, projects created using that template, in Drupal, will be started automatically in XTM Cloud.
Project mode
In this section, select one of these options to specify how source translation items in your multilingual project are sent to XTM Cloud, for translation, and then returned to Drupal:
Single file: all source translation items are sent to XTM Cloud in a single XML file, and then returned to Drupal in a single file at the end of the project.
Multiple files: the content from each source translation item is sent to XTM Cloud in its own, separate XML file. As soon as each file is completed, it is returned to Drupal.
Multiple files: the content from each source translation item is sent to XTM Cloud in its own, separate XML file. No translations are returned to Drupal until every file is completed. Translations are then all returned at once in a batch, in their separate, individual files.
When you have made the required settings for your multilingual project, select the Request multiple translations button at the bottom of the screen. The Creating multiple translations screen is briefly displayed.
When the translation job has been sent to XTM Cloud, this is confirmed in a screen message in the Cart tab screen.
If automatic start has been configured for the selected project template, in XTM Cloud, the individual jobs in the multilingual project are sent directly from XTM Cloud to the relevant Linguists.
If automatic start has not been configured for the selected project template, in XTM Cloud, a Project Manager must create a workflow there, manually, to send the individual jobs in the multilingual project to the relevant Linguists.
Result: you have created a multilingual translation project and sent it to XTM Cloud for translation. There, it will be send to the relevant Linguists, who will do the actual translation work.
5. Optional: Viewing translation project details in the Drupal Jobs tab screen in the Translation screen
If required, now select the Jobs tab. You see the Job overview screen. It contains details about current translation projects. You can also filter, cancel or delete projects there.
6. Optional: Viewing or managing translation projects in XTM Cloud
You can send content for translation in XTM Cloud, from Drupal, and create or update your multilingual Drupal content, without ever logging in to XTM Cloud. However, if required, you can also use the functionality in XTM Cloud to view or manage your translation projects. To do so, log in to XTM Cloud.
When you go to XTM Cloud, you see the project in the Projects tab, in XTM Cloud. Its name (in the Name column) will vary, depending on how your instance of XTM Cloud is configured, but the name could, for example, start with the prefix defined in the Project name prefix setting in the XTM Connect – Drupal plugin configuration.
The translation jobs are sent to the Translators automatically. When they have translated them (in XTM Workbench), and the translation project is finished, the completed translations are returned to Drupal automatically. These translations are not returned instantly but at the interval set for cron jobs in the Administration settings, in Drupal.
7. The final stages: checking and reviewing the translated texts
You can now:
Result: you have selected website content in Drupal and sent it to XTM Cloud in a multilingual translation project, for translation. The finished translation project has been returned to Drupal. The translated content has been uploaded to the website. You have checked it and the finalized content is now ready for users to visit.