How to Localize Variables

Variables are used to substitute text at the time of publishing. They can be used in many publishable fields such as Book or Topic descriptions, Topic text and Hypertext links. They work by looking for specific text (for example <PRODUCT>) and replacing it with a variable assignment (for example Notepad).

When a translation job is exported to XML, any variable assignments on Book and Topic objects are exported as well. To a translator these show up as part of the Topic or Book they belong to.

Your Translators need to be made aware that text enclosed in <angle brackets> may have special meaning and should be provided with rules to deal with each situation.

Because of the many ways that variables can be used, they will generally be dealt in one of three ways:

1. Variable assignment is translated.

   The variables themselves should not be translated, but left 'untouched'. Only the variable assignments should be translated. Otherwise the variable cannot be resolved during publishing, and the final output will display the translated variable between <angle brackets>.

   Note: It will often be appropriate to move the location of the variables due to different word orders.

   

2. Variable default value is translated.

   Variables do not always have assignments against them. In these circumstances, the default value (as defined in Author-it Administrator) is used.

   

   The default value is not exported to XML and, where necessary, should be translated within the Target library.

3. Variable is removed from text.

   In some circumstances the variable should be removed and replaced with regular text.

   For example, let's say we have defined a variable <COLOR> where we substitute either the word "color" (for the US market) or "colour" (for the UK market). Neither of these make much sense in the French or German market, and while we could assign a new value, it's probably easier to replace the variable with regular text - replacing <COLOR> with couleur in French, and with Farbe in German.