This task is one section of Eight software practices that keep business apps reliable, with 7 related tasks on one page.
1. Extract one screen
Move the visible labels and messages on one screen into the message catalog. Leave names the user typed, such as a product title, as data.
2. Translate that screen
Add one language and translate every string on the screen. Switch the user to that language and read the screen.
3. Check the length
A translated label is often longer. Buttons and headings should still be readable at a phone width. Rewrite the source string if the translation cannot fit.
4. Find what you missed
Any string still in the original language is a hardcoded label or data. Fix the label. Translate the data in the record, not in the catalog.
5. Frequently asked questions
Should I translate the database?
Translate records, such as product names, in the product. The catalog is for interface text.
Can I concatenate “Hello ” and the name?
Translate the whole sentence with a placeholder for the name. Word order changes between languages.
Does this replace an Odoo language?
No. Odoo has its own language activation. Use that for the ERP, and this approach for a product you are building.
6. Related articles and next steps
Treat the checks below as the acceptance test for the change. Names of libraries can vary; the behavior to prove does not.