L10n:Localization Process: Difference between revisions

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Our [[L10n:Home_Page|L10n]] objective is to help you launch as many new languages/locales as we can. This wiki page is meant to give you an overview of what’s involved from start to finish with links to more detail.  
The Mozilla [[L10n:Home_Page|Localization]] (L10n) team wants to help people launch as many new languages/locales as possible. This wiki page is meant to give you an overview of what’s involved in translating our software, with links to more detail.  


I am always looking for feedback to make this page better, so if you have something to say good or bad please post to the forum or [mailto:mic@mozilla.com mail us].
We are always looking for feedback to make this page better, so if you have something to say good or bad please post to the forum or [mailto:mic@mozilla.com mail us].
 
=Step 1: Volunteer=
 
The process begins when someone (you :-) notices our software is not translated into their language, and volunteers to do the work. You need to:


=Step 1, Volunteer=
[[L10n:Localization_Process_Start| STARTs]] when there is a realization that Mozilla is missing another language and there is volunteer who is willing to do the work. The simple steps are:
* Join an existing team or start a new one (if there isn't one already working on your language)
* Join an existing team or start a new one (if there isn't one already working on your language)
* Register, so people know you are working on it and can contact you
* Register, so people know you are working on it and can contact you
* Check out the en-US tree
 
* Clone it
[[L10n:Localization_Process_Start| More detail...]]
* Edit the resulting tree to translate all the strings (perhaps with tools)
 
* Run some tool which bundles up the result into a language pack
=Step 2: Make A Language Pack=
 
There are two ways that people can get hold of your translation - as an official complete build in that language (see Step 3) or as a language pack which is installed into an existing copy of Firefox (this step). New localizers do language packs first, and may move on to official builds later.
 
Language packs have the following features:
 
* Release early and often
* You don't need to pay attention to Mozilla release schedules
* Language packs act just like add-ons that offer a different language for the user interface
* Serve updates to your users on your own schedule, as with any other add-ons
 
The steps to making a language pack are:
 
* Get the English (US) translation from our code management system
* Make a copy of that, to work on
* Edit the copy to translate all the strings (perhaps using some tools to help)
* Bundle up the result into a language pack
* Ship it to some friends to test it
* Ship it to some friends to test it
* Check in the result, and iterate.  
* Put the result back in our code management system, and do further rounds of updates as appropriate.
 
[[L10n:Localization_Process_Middle|More detail...]]


=Step 2, Preparation and Building=
=Step 3: Official Release=
There are [[L10n:Localization_Process_Middle| several stages]] and we will work with you to get your build to users as early as possible. As a new localizer we recommend building a language pack first:
 
== Language Packs ==
For your localization to be available directly for download on mozilla.com, there needs to be an official complete release rather than just a language pack add-on. Mozilla evaluates newly emerging localizations to possibly be turned into official localized builds. This depends on quality, popularity and other factors.
* Release early and often,
 
* You don't need to pay attention to Mozilla release schedules
Doing an official release involves, among other things:
* Language packs act just like Add-ons that offer a different language for the user interface
 
* Serve updates to your users on your own schedule, as with any other Add-ons
* More translation work (e.g. on installer and migration wizard)
* Working on a language pack does come with a slightly poorer user experience, though, so you want to work towards full localized builds.
* Doing localized versions of the web pages built into the product, and the start page
* Translated/localized bookmarks and possibly different search engines


== Pre Beta ==
We will do some technical checks on the completeness and maturity of your localization. We'll be working together to make sure that your localization is hooked up at the right places in our build and release process, and that the hooks within Firefox to external services (such as search and web content handlers) are good for your locale and set up correctly. Your job is to make sure we don't break anything ;-)
* Mozilla evaluates newly emerging localizations to be included into the release process for official localized builds.
** We will do some technical checks on the completeness and maturity of your localization.
* We'll be working together to make sure that your localization is hooked up at the right places in our build and release process, and that the hooks within Firefox to external services (read search, web content handlers) are good for your localization, and set up right and in agreement with those service providers.  
* Your job is to make sure we don't break anything in your release ;-)


== Beta ==
Once all the additional work is done, the Mozilla Corporation will create up-to-date versions of the product for your language on our three major platforms and offers automatic security updates for it.
* all technical issues should be resolved and everything should be ready to get you into an official release.
* reach out to as many people in your community as possible, and grow a testing community.  
** Help is provided by Mozilla's QA people
* Daily builds start happening as this is an iterative process to get a candidate for official release


= Step 3, Official release =
[[L10n:Localization_Process_End| More detail...]]
[[L10n:Localization_Process_End| Official releases]] stand out against language packs by having a full user experience in the sense that they're offered directly for download on the official Mozilla.com sites, the installer is in your language (if technically possible, thanks, windows), the migration wizard is localized.  
* localizers provide localized versions of our in-product web pages for support links and the start page.
* You will have translated bookmarks and possibly different search engines.
* Mozilla creates up-to-date versions of Firefox for all official languages on our three major platforms and offers automatic security updates for these.


At this stage, all your testing reports have come in, bugs that may have been found got fixed. When this happens, your build will be offered to people coming to the main Mozilla site as one of the drop down language choices. Now it's time to take a step back and party :-)!
Once Step 3 is complete, your localization will be offered to people coming to the main Mozilla site as one of the language choices. Now it's time to take a step back and party :-)!


The Mozilla project gives you room to take Firefox in your region to new heights, to grow your community, get more contributors, and much more. And then there's always the next major release, so you want to follow the progress of the project. We would also like you to tell other people about your experience so that we can grow our Localizer and Developer community so we can do this all over again :-)
The Mozilla project gives you room to take Firefox in your region to new heights, to grow your community, get more contributors, and much more. And then there's always the next major release - so you will want your localization to keep track of the progress of the project. We would also like you to tell other people about your experience so that we can grow our Localizer and Developer community so we can do this all over again :-)

Revision as of 13:52, 28 June 2007

Draft-template-image.png THIS PAGE IS A WORKING DRAFT Pencil-emoji U270F-gray.png
The page may be difficult to navigate, and some information on its subject might be incomplete and/or evolving rapidly.
If you have any questions or ideas, please add them as a new topic on the discussion page.

The Mozilla Localization (L10n) team wants to help people launch as many new languages/locales as possible. This wiki page is meant to give you an overview of what’s involved in translating our software, with links to more detail.

We are always looking for feedback to make this page better, so if you have something to say good or bad please post to the forum or mail us.

Step 1: Volunteer

The process begins when someone (you :-) notices our software is not translated into their language, and volunteers to do the work. You need to:

  • Join an existing team or start a new one (if there isn't one already working on your language)
  • Register, so people know you are working on it and can contact you

More detail...

Step 2: Make A Language Pack

There are two ways that people can get hold of your translation - as an official complete build in that language (see Step 3) or as a language pack which is installed into an existing copy of Firefox (this step). New localizers do language packs first, and may move on to official builds later.

Language packs have the following features:

  • Release early and often
  • You don't need to pay attention to Mozilla release schedules
  • Language packs act just like add-ons that offer a different language for the user interface
  • Serve updates to your users on your own schedule, as with any other add-ons

The steps to making a language pack are:

  • Get the English (US) translation from our code management system
  • Make a copy of that, to work on
  • Edit the copy to translate all the strings (perhaps using some tools to help)
  • Bundle up the result into a language pack
  • Ship it to some friends to test it
  • Put the result back in our code management system, and do further rounds of updates as appropriate.

More detail...

Step 3: Official Release

For your localization to be available directly for download on mozilla.com, there needs to be an official complete release rather than just a language pack add-on. Mozilla evaluates newly emerging localizations to possibly be turned into official localized builds. This depends on quality, popularity and other factors.

Doing an official release involves, among other things:

  • More translation work (e.g. on installer and migration wizard)
  • Doing localized versions of the web pages built into the product, and the start page
  • Translated/localized bookmarks and possibly different search engines

We will do some technical checks on the completeness and maturity of your localization. We'll be working together to make sure that your localization is hooked up at the right places in our build and release process, and that the hooks within Firefox to external services (such as search and web content handlers) are good for your locale and set up correctly. Your job is to make sure we don't break anything ;-)

Once all the additional work is done, the Mozilla Corporation will create up-to-date versions of the product for your language on our three major platforms and offers automatic security updates for it.

More detail...

Once Step 3 is complete, your localization will be offered to people coming to the main Mozilla site as one of the language choices. Now it's time to take a step back and party :-)!

The Mozilla project gives you room to take Firefox in your region to new heights, to grow your community, get more contributors, and much more. And then there's always the next major release - so you will want your localization to keep track of the progress of the project. We would also like you to tell other people about your experience so that we can grow our Localizer and Developer community so we can do this all over again :-)

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