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How to translate the contents of a collection

Prerequisites​

  • At least two languages installed in your collection
  • Admin access for thesauri, relationship types, menu links, filters, and pages
  • Write access to an entity for its text and primary documents

You install and set languages in How to manage the languages of a collection. This guide assumes you already did that.

Steps​

You translate a collection's content in three places:

  1. You translate entity text inside each entity.
  2. You translate pages in the page editor.
  3. You translate the rest from Settings > Translations.

The table below shows the role each task needs.

TaskRole needed
Translate entity textWrite access to the entity
Upload a translated primary documentWrite access to the entity
Translate thesauri, relationship types, menu links, or filtersAdmin
Translate a pageAdmin

Write access covers admin, editor, and collaborator users with edit rights on the entity.

Translate the text of an entity​

These steps translate the title and text fields of one entity.

  1. Open the entity you want to translate.
  2. Select the language button in the top-right header. Choose the language you want. The page reloads with that language's copy of the entity.
  3. Select Edit to open the entity for editing.
  4. Edit the title and any text fields with the translated wording.
  5. Select Save.

Other field types work differently. Handle each one as follows:

  • Link fields store a display text and a web address for each language. Translate the display text. Keep the same web address, or point to a localized one for that language.
  • Image and Media fields hold a separate file for each language. Uwazi doesn't copy them across languages. Reuse the same file, or add a localized one for that language.
  • Date, Numeric, Geolocation, and Generated ID fields stay the same in every language. You don't translate them.
  • Select and Multiple select fields show values from a thesaurus. You translate those values in the thesaurus, not in the entity.
  • Relationship fields show the titles of the entities they link to. You translate each linked entity on its own with these same steps.

Repeat these steps for each language you support.

Translate the labels of a thesaurus​

Uwazi creates a translation entry for a thesaurus once you save it. The entry holds the thesaurus name and each of its item labels.

  1. Go to Settings > Translations.
  2. Under Content translations, find the thesaurus by its name.
  3. Select the edit icon on its row.
  4. To show only labels that still need work, turn on Untranslated Terms.
  5. Type the translated wording for each label in each language column.
  6. Select Save.

Translate the name of a relationship type​

Uwazi creates a translation entry for a relationship type once you save it.

  1. Go to Settings > Translations.
  2. Under Content translations, find the relationship type by its name. Its row carries the Relationship Type tag.
  3. Select the edit icon on its row.
  4. Type the translated name in each language column.
  5. Select Save.

Uwazi creates a translation entry for your menu once you save it.

  1. Add your links in Settings > Menu and save.
  2. Go to Settings > Translations.
  3. Under System translations, select the edit icon on the Menu row.
  4. Type the translated title for each link in each language column.
  5. Select Save.

Translate filter labels​

note

Only named filter groups appear here. A plain filter row without a group name has no label to translate.

  1. Set up named groups in Settings > Filters and save.
  2. Go to Settings > Translations.
  3. Under System translations, select the edit icon on the Filters row.
  4. Type the translated wording for each group name in each language column.
  5. Select Save.

Translate a page​

A page stores its title and content once per language. You edit each language from the language tabs in the page editor.

  1. Go to Settings > Pages and open the page.
  2. Select the language tab you want at the top-right of the editor.
  3. Edit the title and content for that language.
  4. Select Save to keep a draft, or Publish to make it live.

Upload a translated primary document​

A primary document is the main PDF attached to an entity. You can add a copy in another language and label it with that language.

  1. Open the entity. The Primary Documents section lists its main documents.
  2. Select Add PDF in the Primary Documents section.
  3. Choose the file. Uwazi accepts PDF files only. It uploads the file and detects its language from the text.
  4. Check the language label on the new document.
  5. If the language is wrong or missing, select Edit, choose the right Language, and select Save.

Result​

Your collection's content now reads in each language you support. Users see the translated wording when they switch language from the header.

tip

Turn on Untranslated Terms on any translation page to find labels that still match the default language.

See also​