018: ABAP Cloud Translation and XLF-Translator

Introduction

For business applications, translations are an important factor in ensuring acceptance by all users, especially when operating in a global company. Applications are generally developed in English and then translated into numerous other languages. Therefore, in this episode, we'll take a look at the process for creating a translation.

Create a Project

To do this, we first need a translation project for ABAP Cloud. In the system's Launchpad, we switch to the "Maintain Translations" application to create a new translation project. In the application, we click on the plus sign and we can enter further information. You can freely assign the project identifier, as well as the name and description. The package is especially important for later deployment, but also provides the basis if, for example, you want to translate a software component. Once we have entered all the information in the project, we can create the project using "Create." Since we want to transport the translations later, we must specify a transport request.

Once the project has been created, we add the objects to be translated. The "Add" button provides us with a selection of different objects within the software component. In our case, we are using a local package, so we see all the objects of the ZLOCAL component. It is always sufficient to adopt all packages of the project, as this includes all sub-objects for translation.

Once all packages have been assigned, we can define a translation in the lower section. We specify the source and target languages. Since we developed our application in English, this is the source language. We want to do our translation for German. Once the translation is created, we select the line and can download the texts to be translated via "Download." Later, you can also download just the delta via "Changed Texts," for example, if you know you don't need all of the texts. This creates a local file in XLIFF format.

XLF Translator

The translation process is now quite open. You can translate the file, for example, in the Translation Hub or send it to a translation agency. Since we don't have either available at the moment, we'll do the translation ourselves using a tool on the website.

In the menu, under "SAP" and in the "SAP Tools" area, you'll find the XLF Translator. This tool is designed to help you translate files using version 1.2. Use "Load File" to translate the file. We select our file and load the contents into the overview. You'll see a simple overview of the texts to be translated. On the left side, you'll see the object and a brief explanation of the text. In this case, a message class with the individual messages, as well as a description of a Core Data Service. The source and target languages are displayed side by side, and you can begin translating into the target language.

Once you've finished the translation, the first step is to prepare the file and the download. A two-step process is used here. When you click "Create Download," the file is created on the server and made available to you. In the second step, you can then download it using "Download." Download the actual file, which will then be deleted directly from the server.

Publishing

The translation of the file is now complete, and we can return to the application. There, we select our dataset again and can upload our translation. After the upload, the texts are loaded, but not yet active in the system. Therefore, we still need to click the "Publish" button. Assign it to a transport, and then complete the translation process.

Summary

In contrast to SE63, the translation process is not possible solely via the SAP GUI. The new process is decoupled, and we now have several options for performing the actual translation. The XLF Translator is designed to provide you with a simple way to quickly and easily translate your texts into a new language.

Thanks for watching and see you next time.

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