# Translating the Application Suite Using Stonevoice Translator

## Quick Start

This is a step-by-step guide aimed at providing Stonevoice Partners with the essential information needed to translate the Stonevoice Application Suite.

## Unpacking the Translation Kit Files

This guide assumes you have received a translation kit for your language. The kit includes a ZIP file containing the reference strings in English and the strings to be translated in your language.

1. Locate the ZIP file for your language. It is named `LKit-it.zip`, where "`-it`" stands for your language two-letter code.
2. Unpack the ZIP file in a working directory. We suggest you use the `Work` directory under the directory where Stonevoice Translator is installed (e.g. `C:\Program Files\SvTranslator\Work`).

## Opening the Files in Stonevoice Translator

1. Run Stonevoice Translator and click on the first Open button, near the Reference label (or press `Ctrl-L`).
2. Open the following file in your work directory:
   `Work\en\Stonevoice.svt`
3. Click on the third Open button, near the Translation label (or press `Ctrl-O`).
4. Open the following file in your work directory:
   `Work\it\Stonevoice.svt`
   where it is the two-letter code of your language.

Now both the Reference and the Translation are open, and you can navigate the translatable entries in the Contents tree view.

Tip - The next time you open Stonevoice Translator, all the files can be opened at once by clicking on the drop-down arrow near the first Open button and selecting the reference file name from the MRU (Most Recently Used) list.

## Populating the Dictionary

The dictionary associates a reference string with one or more known translations. When Stonevoice Translator is installed, the dictionary is empty. If you have already translated some strings for Stonevoice before, the ZIP file you receive contains the translated strings too, but these strings are not present in the dictionary yet. This step allows Stonevoice Translator to learn which translation should be suggested for a given reference.

1. Click on the drop-down arrow near the Dictionary button over the Contents tree view.
2. Click on the Populate from translation menu item.

Now the dictionary is ready.

## Moving to the Next String to be Translated

1. Click on the drop-down arrow near the Next button.
2. Click on the Untranslated menu item.
3. Click on the Next button.

The selection in the Contents tree view will change to show the next entry that needs to be translated (entries don't have a plus sign on their left, whereas structural nodes do). The reference and translation text will appear on the right side of the window.

Entries that have already been translated will be skipped by the move mode your selected.

Note - If automatic dictionary lookup is active, when you move onto an untranslated string that has a known reference the string is translated automatically. The string is marked as auto-set and becomes already translated. Next, when you click on one of the arrow buttons and the move mode is set to "Untranslated", the automatically translated string will be skipped.

## Translating the String

To translate the string you may do one of the following:

- Click on the Translation text box on the right side of the window and type in the correct text.
- If the string in your language is identical to the one in English, click on the Set Verified Flag button to mark the string as already translated.
- If the dictionary suggested a translation that is not correct, either type in the correct text or click on the Dictionary Lookup button over the Translation text box to see if there are other suggestions for the same reference.

Tip - If you are not sure about the translation, you may mark the string with the to be verified flag and review it later, for example with the real-time testing feature. To mark the string, click on the Set To Be Verified Flag button.

## Translating Special Strings and Images

- Strings That Do Not Need Translation
  Some strings, such as application names in the Stonevoice Application Suite menu, do not need to be translated. These strings are already marked with the verified flag in the translation kit you received from Stonevoice.
- Strings with Translation Notes
  Some strings have notes that are displayed in the Translation Notes text box. Translation notes give you indications about maximum string size or special fields that you may use in the string. Please read the notes carefully when present.
- Special Symbols
  Some strings have special characters at the beginning (e.g. x%&&%s:1%||_x%&&Use format '%1'.). These characters are used for composing strings with gender and number matching in some languages. Pay special attention not to alter the special characters. We suggest you use real-time testing to see and verify these messages.
- Sounds and Images
  The translation kit may contain translatable sounds and images. These do not need to be translated and may be marked by you with the verified flag.

## Saving Your Work

Note - After you move away from a string you translated, the modifications you made cannot be undone.

To prevent accidental loss of your data, your work will not be saved unless you explicitly ask Stonevoice Translator to do so.

To save your work:

1. Click on the third Save button, near the Translation label (or press `Ctrl-S`).

Tip - When the translation is not saved, the Save icon becomes green.

To recover an older translation without saving:

1. Click on the drop-down arrow near the third Open button.
2. Click on the Close menu item.
3. When asked to save your changes, answer No.
4. Click on the drop-down arrow near the third Open button again.
5. Select the first menu item from the MRU (Most Recently Used) list.

## Sending Back Your Work to Stonevoice

When you are finished with the translation process, you may send back your work to Stonevoice.

1. Compress the entire translation directory into a ZIP file. This directory is usually:
   `Work\it\`
   where it is the two-letter code of your language. There is no need to send back the reference directory.
2. Send the ZIP file to Stonevoice.

## More Information

This guide described only the basic features of Stonevoice Translator. We recommend you read at least the Stonevoice Translator Features Overview that gives you an idea of other possibilities offered by the program as:

- Real-time Testing
  Allows you to see the results of your translation in real-time over a running Stonevoice Application Suite.
- Decoration Check
  Warns you if you add trailing spaces, newlines or symbols by mistake.
- Macros
  Macros let you associate common strings with function keys to save typing time.

Or you may want to return to the index.