Update Content when Translation is Not Finished
The recommended translation workflow is designed for organizations that can wait for translations to be completed before further updates are made. If you need to make frequent updates to the source language content, you will need to take a different approach to translation, with branches for your updates.
Here, we explain how to use branching to manage your updates and keep your translations aligned with the correct versions of your content.
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This diagram shows the typical process for using branches for updates while waiting for translations. You start by sending your original content for translation, then you create one or more branches for your updates. You can publish the updates in the source language but do not merge them into the original version. When the translation of the original comes back, import it into Paligo. At this stage, the translation is aligned with the version of the content that was translated (the original version). You can now send the updates for translation, either individually or by merging with the original version and then re-sending the original version for translation.
The following sections describe each stage of the process.
At this point, you should be:
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Waiting for the translators to return the translation for the original version
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Ready to make updates to your documentation in the source language.
When you have sent content for translation, it is important that you do not make any further changes to the source language version. If you do, then the translation will not align with the source language, as the translation will not include the changes you have made.
To make updates to the source language content, you will need to create a branch. A branch is a separate version of the content, with different IDs so that you can make changes without affecting the original version.
Note
If the original version had reused elements in it, these will also be reused in the branch and so will keep their existing IDs. If you change these, your changes will apply to those elements in the original branch too (and anywhere else they are used).
Depending on what you need to change and how you want to manage your content, you can create a branch of:
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A publication
You will get a new branch version of the publication but it is set to still reference the same topics that were used in the original publication. To make an update to a topic, you should branch the topic first, and then make the updates in the branched version.
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Individual topics
When you branch a topic, you get a new version of the topic and its elements get new IDs. As they have new IDs, you can change their content without affecting the content in the original version of the topic.
There are two ways to branch a topic:
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From the fork of a publication.
This creates a branch of the topic in a publication. The publication is automatically set to use the branch topic instead of the original version.
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From a topic in the Content Manager.
This creates a branch of the topic, but it only exists in the Content Manager. To use it in a publication, you will need to add it to the publication's structure.
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To learn how to make branches of your content, see Create Branches.
Make your updates in the branched version of the topics. The changes you make will only affect the branched version (unless you make changes to reused content).
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Make your changes in the branch topic. Do not make changes to the original version if its translation is not complete.
Caution
Do not make changes to the original version if its translation is not complete.
If you change the original version while waiting for its translation, the translation and source language content will not align. This will make it difficult to manage the versions and translations in future.
When you have made the changes, you can publish the branches in the source language.
To publish a branch, select the options menu ( ... ) for the branch and then select Publish. Use the Publish document dialog to choose the publishing settings, such as the output type and the language.
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How you present the updated topics to your customers is up to you. You could:
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Publish a branched version of your publication, provided as a separate HTML help or PDF
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Publish the branched version and use that to replace the existing version.
To learn about publishing, see Publish Content.
If you need to make further updates and are still waiting for the original translation work to be completed, create more branches. Depending on how you want to manage your branches, you can:
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Create another branch of the original topic.
This approach is useful if you want to have multiple branches that will be used for different variations of the content. This is sometimes called non-sequential branching.
With the non-sequential branching shown here:
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Branch "Update A" contains the content from the original branch + update A. It does not contain the content that was added to "Update B".
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Branch "Update B" contains the content from the original branch + update B. It does not contain the content that was added to "Update A".
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Create a branch of an existing branch of the original topic.
This approach is better suited to sequential updates, where each update should also include the content from the previous update.
With the sequential branching shown here:
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Branch "Update 1" includes the original content + update 1 content
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Branch "Update 2" includes all of the content in update 1 + update 2 content
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Branch "Update 3" includes all of the content in update 2 + update 3 content.
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When you have created more branches, you can edit them and publish them in the source language as needed.
Caution
Do not merge the branches with the original version until the translation for the original version is complete and imported. If you do, it will cause the translation and content to be misaligned.
Caution
We recommend that you do not send a branch for translation until the original version is translated and imported.
If you send out branches for translations and the original version is still not translated, it could result in duplicate translation work and extra, unnecessary costs.
It is easier to manage your content and translations if you only send one version for translation at a time.
At this stage, you should be:
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Waiting for the original version to be translated
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Ready to send the branches for translation.
When the translators have completed their work on the original version of the content, import the translation into Paligo (see Import a Translation Package).
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Confirmed and locked files will import as 100% translated and 100% approved. The proofreading is done, so you only have to change the state to Released in Paligo.
Ignore Stage 9 and continue with Stage 10.
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Confirmed but unlocked files will import as 100% translated, but not 100% approved. You will need to review and approve the translation.
Proceed with Stage 9.
When you have reviewed the translations for the original version, you can:
At this stage, you should have:
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The original version of your content published in the source language and the translated languages.
The translations will match the original version of the content.
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Your updates in the branches, written in the source language and waiting for translation.
You now need to get the updates translated so put the updated topics into the In Translation state. Depending on how you want to manage your content, there are several ways to approach the translation.
You could:
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Continue to manage the original branch and each update branch separately. In this case, you should send the first update branch for translation. We recommend that you wait until the translation is completed and imported before you send the second branch for translation.
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Merge your update branches so that you have the original version and one update branch. You can then send the update branch for translation.
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Merge your update branches into the original version. You can then send the original version for translation again, and this time the translators will only need to translate the updated content.
Caution
Do not merge the branches with the original version until the translation for the original version is complete and imported. If you do, it will cause the translation and content to be misaligned.
To learn how to merge branches, see Merge Branches.
When the translations are ready, you can import them into Paligo and review them. When you import, Paligo matches the translation to the appropriate version. For example, if you sent an update branch for translation, Paligo will match the translation to the IDs of the topics in the update branch.
When you have imported and reviewed the translations for your updates, they are ready to publish. Put the content into the Released state and publish it.
Depending on how you manage and present your content, this could mean:
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Publish the main branch (original + updates merged into one) in the translated languages
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Publish the individual branches in the translated languages.
Make your published content available to your audience, either as an update to the existing content or as a new version of the content that is hosted separately to the original version.
To learn about the publishing process, see Publish Content.