Title:     How to Help Translate Apache OpenOffice
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##Introduction

OpenOffice traditionally has had excellent localization support,
especially with its support of over 100 languages, including many
minority languages that are not commonly supported in commercial
products.  Our community-led, all-volunteer, open source development
model facilitates this.

Each new version of OpenOffice requires the translations to be
updated, to add translations for terms and phrases that have been
added or changed in the product.  So maintaining support for any given
translation is an ongoing effort, requiring volunteers to help keep
the translations current, complete and accurate.

A list of translations available in the most recent release of Apache
OpenOffice can be found [here](http://www.openoffice.org/download/other.html)

A larger list of languages, including ones that have incomplete
translations are listed [here](https://translate.apache.org/projects/OOo_34/).

##How to Help

First, register your interest.   We track a list of volunteers
interested in helping with each language on our wiki [here](https://cwiki.apache.org/confluence/display/OOOUSERS/Localization+Volunteers).

You should add your name to that list, and subscribe to our localization
mailing list by sending an email to
[L10N-subscribe@openoffice.apache.org](L10N-subscribe@openoffice.apache.org);
you will receive a confirmation request, just reply to it to be subscribed. Then you should 
[send a note](mailto:L10N@openoffice.apache.org) to the list and introduce
yourself and your interest in helping with that language.

If a build with your language already exists, you should download and
install it.  If you find errors in the translation, you can report them
via bug reports in [Bugzilla](https://issues.apache.org/ooo/enter_bug.cgi?product=native-lang) 
or enter a suggested fix into Pootle (more on Pootle below).

If a build is not yet ready for your language, then that typically
means that the translation is not yet complete.  You can help finish
the translation in several ways:

 1. You can send a note to the [L10n list](http://openoffice.apache.org/mailing-lists.html#localization-mailing-list) 
requesting the PO files for that language.  These files can be
loaded into a translation management tool (some tools are listed 
[here](http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/wiki/Pootle_User_Guide#Translating_off-line),
with [POEdit](http://www.poedit.net/) being a popular choice) where you can edit the
translation.  When done, or when you've made progress that you want to
verify, you can submit the new PO files as an attachment in Bugzilla.
This approach works well if you are the only person working on a
translation.

 1. You can suggest translations on our [Pootle server](https://translate.apache.org/projects/OOo_34/)   
Logins to Pootle are reserved for project "Committers" (those volunteers who have
demonstrated sustained contributions to the project and have been
voted in as committers).  So initially you will need to work with
Pootle via suggestions.  But translators who have made substantial
contributions via their efforts are regularly give Committer rights.

 1. Whichever method you use, when you have completed the initial
translation, send a note to the 
[L10n list](http://openoffice.apache.org/mailing-lists.html#localization-mailing-list).   At that point we can make a special test build of Apache
OpenOffice for you to review.  If more changes are required in the
translation, we can iterate on these steps, making changes, making new
test builds, etc.

Note:  This process works best if there is a community of users
supporting the effort, and not just a single translator.  The
additional users, even if they cannot help with the translation directly, 
can help review the test build and point out errors in
translation, as well as other localization errors.  Others on the
OpenOffice project might be able to help you find other interested
users, so let us know, via a note to the [L10n list](http://openoffice.apache.org/mailing-lists.html#localization-mailing-list) if you want that help.

##Tips for translators

If you are a new translator, you can find the following tips helpful.
Please ask on the
[L10n list](http://openoffice.apache.org/mailing-lists.html#localization-mailing-list)
if you have any questions.

 1. Do not translate the file <tt>basic/source/app.po</tt>; these strings belong
to an outdated tool (TestTool) no longer distributed with OpenOffice. Ignore that
file and return it exactly as you received it.

 1. When you save a file in POEdit, you may receive the error "Header Field
Project-Id-Version still has the initial default value"; you can safely ignore it;
that field is not used in the current localization process.

 1. Some strings contain a "~", like "All ~Pages"; these are meant for keyboard
accelerators; you should ignore the "~" in newly translated strings: OpenOffice
will automatically assign an accelerator to commands.

 1. Some strings, especially those in the <tt>helpcontent2</tt> directory, contain markup,
e.g. <pre>You see the &lt;link href=\"text/schart/main0202.xhp\"&gt;Formatting Bar&lt;/link&gt; here.</pre>
In that case, do not touch anything between "&lt;" and "&gt;". So your
translated string should be a copy of the original, where you only translate
"You see the", "Formatting Bar", and "here".

 1. When a PO file contains both translated and untranslated strings, PoEdit will
show untranslated (or partially translated by automatic matching, so-called
"fuzzy") strings first. You can scroll down the file to see already translated strings
if you want to be consistent with the terminology in use.

 1. If you are a team, or you plan to have someone else review your changes,
please note that PO files do not have a way to mark a translation as "to be
reviewed". Most teams who want to review translated file before submitting them
agree to mark new and modified translations as "Fuzzy" in Pootle, so that
reviewers can immediately see what has changed and "unfuzzy" those strings
after verifying that the translation is correct.