How We Migrated to Transifex Native in 2 Weeks
Introducing Transifex Native
A modern approach to software localization that fits your stack
How Transifex Native Works
Language Framework SDK
In the core of Transifex Native lies an SDK architecture that applies to multiple frameworks. This architecture provides a common way of managing content in order to make it global. This occurs by following a unified syntax and formatting; which is the ICU syntax.
Push/Pull Content
The content is sent as batches, not files. When global content is available, it can be pulled back from Transifex to the application either via a developer's workstation or directly on production.
Content Delivery Server
Transifex Native retrieves translated content via an intermediate service, called the Content Delivery Server (CDS). It works similarly to a CDN and serves all translations from a cache, so that the retrieval is fast. This service works as the final place where the latest translations are stored. It is responsible for fetching the latest global content from Transifex and to make that content available to your application once it is requested.
The Next Generation of Localization Technology
Transifex Native is an end-to-end, fully cloud-based localization stack that perfectly matches the Continuous Iteration/Continuous Development workflow.
ENGINEERS
Integrate localization in your code stack. Transifex Native is simple yet powerful.
MANAGERS
Manage and release all your content across languages & platforms at your own pace.
TRANSLATORS
Deliver fast and high-quality translations working with powerful tools.
CI/CD & Seamless Localization
Quick onboarding in your stack
Work directly on your codebase. No need for additional pulling of content. No need for intermediate files.
Own your development workflow
Add localization metadata in your code to grant more content insights than ever before. Transifex Native was designed from the ground up for agile engineering and localization.
Develop in parallel with your team
Increase your productivity. Empower your team collaboration. Work in parallel versions of the code without worrying about conflicts.
A central place to manage your content and releases
Intelligent string management
Your translators will have fewer strings to translate, letting you improve translation quality while saving on costs. Duplicate content between your web and mobile applications will become a thing of the past.
Unified markup to localize any app
Say goodbye to endless file formats. No matter if your team develops a mobile or web application, use the same language to identify & translate phrases. Transifex Native is following the ICU syntax regardless of your language.
Autonomy on releases and updates
Product and localization managers can now create, edit, and publish translations on the fly. Save on engineering resources and time for localization updates.
Powerful tools for editing and quality control
Rich context on all phrases
Deliver better translations faster. Leverage all the context that Transifex Native and the engineers provide. Tags, character limits and in-context view at your disposal in a powerful editor environment.
Sync localization & development work
Translate content with the proper priority on the most important feature that the engineers are working on. Transifex Native is granting you the ability to filter phrases by feature and developer.
Framework-specific SDKs
Supported Programming Languages
By following ICU, Transifex Native homogenizes localization support across all supported frameworks. One of the main components of Native is the SDK. As an Open Source project, developers can build on top of Transifex Native and create new SDKs, following our detailed porting guide.
Django/Python
JavaScript/React/Angular
Android
iOS
Common Questions & Answers
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Transifex Native is available with no additional cost on all plans. Any projects that are using Transifex Native will contribute the respecting word count to your account.
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Transifex Native SDK is running in your codebase and is responsible for communication with Transifex Native CDS, which is a separate server from Transifex. Developing Transifex Native we wanted to make sure that we don’t claim control over privacy, performance, and security from your codebase, that’s why the SDK, as well as the CDS server, are a stand-alone open-source project which you can control and install and modify as you want.
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Yes, you can! You can grab all the original content from your database and serve any translations directly from Transifex Native. In order to do that you will need some custom code and respecting SDK in the framework of choice. With the SDK installed you can create a script to extract and store your database content in a file wrapped with the Native “t” function, and then use the Transifex Native CLI tool to push strings to the CDS. Additional changes are needed on your app codebase to pre-render the content coming from the database and then wrap it with the “t” function. Transifex Native SDK will correctly map the content from your database to what you have pushed to the CDS, and will be able to serve over the air the respecting translation.
An improvement we are considering on the above process is “Live push”, where Transifex Native SDK will be able to detect content inside “t” function and push it to the CDS while the application is running.
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Transifex Native always works in append mode, which means that no phrases are automatically deleted. In the scenario shared above this is how Native will work:
– The developer that removed a phrase and is pushing content to Transifex, will simply add new phrases to the respecting Transifex Native project.
– The developer that modified the same phrase and is pushing content to Transifex, will append a new phrase without affecting what’s already stored in Transifex.
Finally, your Transifex Native project will have both phrases, modified and initial, available. In case one of the developers wants to remove phrases unused in her codebase will have to push to Transifex using a specific parameter
--purgeto denote that she is interested in deleting from Transifex Native project all phrases that were not detected in the code.
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