Translations > Knowledge Base > Translations Precedence

Translation precedence policy

As of December 2008, the policy on translations precedence is the following:

• Upstream translations will be in general given more priority when imported into Launchpad
• Launchpad Translations will retain the capability to override any specific upstream translation if an Ubuntu translator knowingly chooses to do so
• As before, we encourage any translation fixes done in Ubuntu to be forwarded upstream by the respective Ubuntu translation teams.

Note that this applies on a single message level basis.

Rationale

This should solve the most common problem of diverging translations between Ubuntu and its upstreams: they are done accidentally (i.e. done in Launchpad before upstreams have even started their work on translations).

However, it does not yet solve the problem of duplication of work. In order to address that, the Launchpad Translations developers are currently working on direct and more frequent syncs with upstreams, in addition to providing a mechanism to send translations back to the original projects.

Examples

Upstream translation takes precedence

1. Upstream GNOME Panel, message "_Open", untranslated

2. Ubuntu GNOME Panel message for "_Open" is untranslated

3. An Ubuntu translator translates the message in Launchpad to "_Foobuntu"

4. Upstream translates "_Open" to "_Foopstream"

5. When a new upstream translation is imported, Launchpad makes "_Foopstream" active over "_Foobuntu" (making "_Foobuntu" a suggestion)

Launchpad translation takes precedence

1. Upstream GNOME Panel, message "_Open", translated to "FoOpstream"

2. Ubuntu GNOME Panel translation for "_Open" is imported and is now "FoOpstream"

3. Someone fixes translation in Ubuntu to "_Foobuntu"

4. Upstream changes translation for "_Open" to "Foopstream"

5. When a new upstream translation is imported, Launchpad keeps "_Foobuntu" active over upstream's "Foopstream"

Ideally, Ubuntu translators will forward fixes upstream as well, so that a new upstream translation matching "_Foobuntu" would actually come from upstream, the two would be matched, and Ubuntu would continue tracking the upstream translation from then on.

References

• Original announcement on the new policy

• Announcement clarifications

• Further announcement clarifications

• Overview of the Ubuntu translations lifecycle

CategoryTranslations