Translation Guide

Getting started as a site translator is very easy. Simply register on the site and contact me, Michael Sharp. Once your account is setup I’ll setup the language files (if necessary) and do a quick walkthrough of the translating software with you. Once that is done then away you go.

There are a couple things you should know before you start.

1. Translation can be done in the backend or front end of the site. The backend is the administrative interface and the frontend is that part of the website that general users see. To translate at the backend, simply login to the backend and then navigate your way to components->Joom!Fish->Translation. Select your language, choose the content you want to translate, and away you go. To translate at the front end, simply login, click your language flag, click the edit icon () and enter your translation. Be very careful with any links that are in the text. The best approach to translating links is to simply type over the existing text to preserve the link. Make sure to test a link or two in your translation to make sure they work. If you are having problems, contact me.
2. Most of the content at the intermediate and advanced level of study is subscriber only. In order to preserve the access structure throughout the site you need to note whenever you see a {subscriber} tag and make sure that tag is preserved in the translation. That tag tells the software where to split the pages for subscriber eyes only.
3. If you are a professional translator (and yes we have some working with us) or feel your translation abilities are keen enough to take on the LP books, contact me before you get started. Some of the book translations are being handled by publishers (Russian and French for example) while others are being handled by independent professionals.

To access the translation menu, login to the backend and select COMPONENTS->Joom!Fish->Translation.

There are no translations available.

To begin translation, choose your language…

And then choose the Content Elements you wish to translate

You have several types of content to transcribe,

1. Categories,
2. Contents,
3. Menus,
4. Modules,
5. Sections,
6. Weblinks, and
7. Languages.

A good place to start with your translation effort is sections and categories.
To translate a section select Sections under content elements.

A screen like the one below will appear.

This screen lists all available sections as well as some key translation information.

The keyword filter allows you to filter the list by article title. This is useful for
long lists of content (like articles) which you’ll get to later.

The published column tells you whether the translation is published or not.
If it is not published, it will not appear on the site.

The translation state tells you if a translation exists (none exist on this screen), whether the translation is up to date, or whether the original has changed and

the translation needs to be updated.

The language column indicates the language you are working with.
Be sure to double check this before translating an item.

Refer to the bottom of the page for a screen legend.

*click for a full size graphic

To begin translation, click in the title column. A screen like the one below will appear.

*click for a full size graphic

Please click the graphic for a more readable version.

Translation is simple.

1. Enter the title translation
2. Skip the Label: Alias translation (it is handled by software)
3. Press the copy button to copy text into main translation window
4. Translate
5. Toggle the publish button
6. Confirm language
7. Click save, apply, or cancel.
   Save will save and close window,
   apply will save and keep window open, and
   cancel will discard changes and close window

Translating categories is identical to translating sections, only there is more of them.

It is important to translate the DESCRIPTION part of the categories
and sections as these appear in the web pages where the descriptions are used.

Although I try not to change the text too much on the site, the site is still evolving and so some changes can be expected. Therefore, once you’ve translated some text, you need to periodically check for currency to see if a translation needs updating. Checking for currency is easy. Just check the state column and look for a yellow warning light bulb. If you see a yellow warning lightbulb, it means either the title or text has changed for that menu and the translation needs to be updated. If you see a green check mark, the translation hasn’t changed.

Note that sometimes text or title has not been changed, but parameters have. If text and title do not appear to have changed, or have not changed enough to warrant a re-translation, simply save the content as is.

*Click image for full size view

1. All menu items
2. The What Can I Do to Help page.
3. The Book Download Page
4. The Parables
5. Underneath the MAIN MENU->The Lightning Path. All items including Home, what is the lightning path, quick start guide, and all the way down to mentor registry
6. Underneath the MAIN MENU->LP Core. All items excluding The Basics which will be superseded by content in The Basic Book but including KEY CONCEPTS and the definitions associated with General Spirituality, Cosmology and Theology, and LP Psychology. These may be found by selecting CONTENT ELEMENT->WEBLINKS in the Joom!Fish translation menu.
7. All pages in the “about me” menu excluding the sharp-amazon joomla plugin. Pages completed April 06, 2010.
8. All pages in the LP Symbols menu drop down

Please do not translate any items under the Translator Menu.

If you find a questionable translation, or you have errors to report, contact either me or the author of the translation.