A step-by-step guide to creating a complete translation for Visforms.
We would very much like to provide translation for Visforms for many languages.
Therefore, we have created a download page for translation files, which hopefully will provide you with translations soon.
So if you follow the instructions and create a complete translation of all language files of Visforms, please consider to share your work with other Visforms users.
Please send us your translation. Thank you!
Before You Begin
Determining the Correct Language Tag
Before you start translating, you must determine the correct language tag.
Every language is associated with a language tag.
A language tag (e.g., en-GB) consists of:
- two lowercase letters for the primary language (en),
- a hyphen (-), and
- two uppercase letters for the region (GB).
Checking for an Existing Translation
Check the download page for language files
to see whether a translation for your language already exists.
If it does, look at the Note column to see whether the translation is up to date or requires an update.
If the translation is no longer current, download the relevant language file and follow the instructions for updating an existing translation.
If no translation exists yet, follow the instructions for creating a new translation.
Determining the Effort Required
Frontend for the User
It is highly advisable to display the frontend in the user’s preferred native language.
All text for the frontend is contained within the INI files located in the site folder of the downloaded and unzipped file (see below).
Files in the site folder with the .sys.ini extension do not need to be translated for the frontend.
Files in the admin folder that begin with plg_* (excluding those with the .sys.ini extension) must also be translated for the frontend.
The effort required for this is relatively low.
The volume of text for the frontend is significantly smaller, and the individual entries are much shorter than those found in the backend, which includes detailed explanations and examples.
Note: Frontend-related translations account for approximately 10% of the total text.
Backend for the Administrator
It is equally advisable to display the backend in the preferred native language of the administrators managing the forms.
All text for the backend is contained within the INI files located in the admin folder of the downloaded and unzipped file (see below).
Files in the admin folder that begin with plg_* (excluding those with the .sys.ini extension) do not need to be translated for the backend.
Files in the site folder with the .sys.ini extension must also be translated for the backend.
The effort required for this is substantial.
The backend contains a large volume of text, with individual entries that are significantly longer than those in the frontend, which consists primarily of brief, concise information and messages.
Note: Backend translations account for approximately 90% of the total text.
Create new translation
- Download english language files: visforms-language-en-GB_j6.zip.
- Extract the zip file.
- Rename the extracted file to your language tag: i.e. pt-PT, if you will translate into Portuguese as spoken in Portugal.
- Open the renamed folder.
- Rename the visforms-en-GB.xml file.
Replace en-GB in file name with your language tag. - Open the renamed XML file with your favourite text editor.
- Please do not change the attributes of the
<extension>node. - Replace the string “- en-GB” in the
<name>node with the name and region of your language.
Please make no further changes to this tag. - Replace value in
<author>node with your name. - Replace values in
<authorurl>node with your URL (if you like to). - Replace value in
<creationDate>node with the correct date. - Adapt text in
<description>node. - Replace any occurrence of the string en-GB with your language tag.
- Save your changes and close the XML file.
- Open the admin folder.
- Open one by one every single file in admin folder with your favourite editor and translate the English texts into your language.
A translation entry consists of a placeholder in upper case characters, an equals character (=), an opening double quote ("), the English translation text and a closing double quote (").
Make sure, that you do not change this structure and that you only replace the English text! All translations must be included in double quotes (")! - Character sequences such as {0} or %s are constants or variables that must not be altered.
- Open the site folder.
- Open one by one every single file in site folder with your favourite editor and translate the English texts into your language.
- Now we are almost done.
You just have to zip the entire translation folder (the folder you renamed to your language tag, i.e. pt-PT). - Test your translation.
Install the language via the extension manager of your administrator panel. - Mail us the zip file with your translations at contact@vi-solutions.de.
We will upload it to the page with translation files.
Update existing translation
- Download english language files: visforms-language-en-GB.zip.
- Extract the visforms-language-en-GB.zip file.
- Extract the existing zip file for your language which you have already downloaded.
- Find new entries in en-GB language files which are missing in the translation for your language.
You have to compare every single language file, preferably using a comparison tool.
Copy new entries into the language file for your language and translate the English text.
To make the task easier for you, new texts are always added at the bottom of the file. - Open the XML file (i.e. pt-PT.xml) in the root of the language package and change the value in the
<version>node.
Enter the version here exactly as it appears in the en-GB.xml file. - Zip the entire translation folder (the folder you renamed to your language tag, i.e. pt-PT).
- Test your translation.
Install the language via the extension manager of your administrator panel. - Mail us the zip file with your translations at contact@vi-solutions.de.
We will upload it to the page with translation files.