Multiple Languages...

[Kathy2]

Hi, all!

Newbie here again! I am brand new to RH HTML, and have not started a test project yet. I hope to do that this week. My planned outputs are WebHelp, PDF/printed doc, and possibly HTML Help.

I have looked throughout support and have seen some information but not everything I need about multiple language-versions of help.

I am looking for the process to manage development of translated help. I know RH 7 can handle unicode, and the way to create combined TOC entries in several languages--although that doesn't seem practical to me! I saw a topic (started by Kathy McIntyre) about importing translated topics...

My assumed process is that the English version of help content will be developed/updated first, and then Word/rtf files will be sent to translators who *do not use* RH. Do I use a single project file for each help "chapter" and tag languages as output targets? Do I create a chapter project for English and the same chapter project for every other language in a separate directory? How do I split the translated content into topics when I don't speak the language? How do I do "version control" to ensure that each language is updated each release?

I have never been involved in a multi-language development effort and so I have no experience to relate this to. Any guidance will be greatly (and gratefully ) appreciated!

Kathy

[MergeThis]

Ben had some great advice for KathyM in that thread. Read it again.

Girl, I don't envy your situation!

* You've never used RH HTML.
* You've never worked a localization effort.
* They won't pay the extra to get translators that work with RH.

What form of suicide do you think you'll settle on, in the end?


Good luck,
Leon

[Kathy2]

quote:

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Originally posted by: MergeThis
What form of suicide do you think you'll settle on, in the end?

---

Uh-oh...I think I am very very very afraid! Maybe I should return to my "ignorance is bliss" state?

[Kathy2]

Leon and Peter --

I did go back and re-read the threads each of you referred to. Since I had gathered my thoughts to post my questions, I was better prepared to read the information this time!

It still seems that the development process will require some serious manual handling...

Any ideas how to find translators that work with RH?

I think I will break out my second question (what to do with the outout) into a separate posting...and leave this one for the development process only.

Thanks!

[MergeThis]

See this site for info on finding translators who use Trados, apparently a leader in translation software products.


Good luck,
Leon

[Peter Grainge]

Kathy

Unfortunately there aren't too many people with experience of this area supporting to the forum.

I posted some basic information in this thread earlier today. http://tinyurl.com/67sep6

I hope someone else can add something. Better still would someone like to write an article to go on my site as a permanent source of information? Sorry, no fees!

[Guest]

Our in-house translation group does not use RoboHelp, but I give them the HTML files (and the glossary and index files when necessary), and then I bring them into the appropriate copies of the project. It works pretty well without the translators having RoboHelp. They have their own system that pulls strings out of Word files, HTML files, etc., and then puts them back in, so they don't have any interest in using RoboHelp anyway.

[MergeThis]

I get the impression that there'll be no such internal support in Kathy's case, Ben.

[Guest]

My point is merely that the workflow doesn't have to involve the translators using RoboHelp for things to come together. How easy the process is depends largely on the translators.

[Kathy2 · Accepted solution]

Thanks for all the info shared!

I will have to follow up to see what format normally is used for the files sent to the Translators--html or otherwise...

I really appreciate y'all sharing your expertise!

Kathy