ente/web/docs/translations.md

# Translations

We use Crowdin for translations, and the `i18next` library to load these at
runtime.

Within our project we have the _source_ strings - these are the key value pairs
in the `packages/next/locales/en-US/translation.json` file.

Volunteers can add a new _translation_ in their language corresponding to each
such source key-value to our
[Crowdin project](https://crowdin.com/project/ente-photos-web).

Everyday, we run a [GitHub workflow](../../.github/workflows/web-crowdin.yml)
that

-   Uploads sources to Crowdin - So any new key value pair we add in the source
    `translation.json` becomes available to translators to translate.

-   Downloads translations from Crowdin - So any new translations that
    translators have made on the Crowdin dashboard (for existing sources) will
    be added to the corresponding `lang/translation.json`.

The workflow also uploads existing translations and also downloads new sources
from Crowdin, but these two should be no-ops.

## Adding a new string

-   Add a new entry in `packages/next/locales/en-US/translation.json` (the
    **source `translation.json`**).
-   Use the new key in code with the `t` function
    (`import { t } from "i18next"`).
-   During the next sync, the workflow will upload this source item to Crowdin's
    dashboard, allowing translators to translate it.

## Updating an existing string

-   Update the existing value for the key in the source `translation.json`.
-   During the next sync, the workflow will clear out all the existing
    translations so that they can be translated afresh.

## Deleting an existing string

-   Remove the key value pair from the source `translation.json`.
-   During the next sync, the workflow will delete that source item from all
    existing translations (both in the Crowdin project and also from the he
    other `lang/translation.json` files in the repository).