Custom translation

Andrew_ww · August 29, 2019, 9:09pm

Hi!

Is it allowed to create and use custom translation on the user interface?

MrGeneration · August 30, 2019, 10:49am

Heya,

could you be a bit more detailed here?
As in: Do you need a custom language or do you have specific fields that need to be translated?

I don’t get your use case yet, maybe it’s possible.

Andrew_ww · August 31, 2019, 2:32pm

Hi!

Thank you for help.

To keep it simple, I found no licence agreement for the community edition (what should cover pricing, modifications, and other things).

If you could help with a link to the licence, it will be great.

MrGeneration · September 2, 2019, 1:03pm

Oh well… you can find Zammads license here:

github.com

zammad/zammad/blob/develop/LICENSE

                    GNU AFFERO GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE
                       Version 3, 19 November 2007

 Copyright (C) 2007 Free Software Foundation, Inc. <http://fsf.org/>
 Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies
 of this license document, but changing it is not allowed.

                            Preamble

  The GNU Affero General Public License is a free, copyleft license for
software and other kinds of works, specifically designed to ensure
cooperation with the community in the case of network server software.

  The licenses for most software and other practical works are designed
to take away your freedom to share and change the works.  By contrast,
our General Public Licenses are intended to guarantee your freedom to
share and change all versions of a program--to make sure it remains free
software for all its users.

  When we speak of free software, we are referring to freedom, not

This file has been truncated. show original

Just to be sure, please also note Zammads trademark policy:
https://zammad-foundation.org/policy/

Andrew_ww · September 2, 2019, 4:01pm

Thank you for details. As of my understanding, I am allowed to alter the text on the user interface in case I credit the source, share the source of the result, and I use neither Zammad name nor Zammad logo. Correct me, if I am wrong.

Is it documented, how to alter text on the user interface? For example is it in a static file or in database?

MrGeneration · September 2, 2019, 4:22pm

Correct.

You’ll find all text within the source code.
As you’re talking about translation, I’m not really sure if this is really what you want to do, but I might get you wrong here.

Please note that changing files is not update safe.
But you will have to fiddle new versions any way, if you change stuff.

Andrew_ww · September 2, 2019, 4:51pm

I hoped, all the user interface is optimized for translation, so there is either a static file or a database table with string keys and translate units. Isnt that the case?

MrGeneration · September 2, 2019, 5:09pm

Most of strings can be translated.
If you want to add a new language, you need our help with that though.

Up to now you didn’t really share the use case and -in my opinion- drifted away from “pure translation” needs. If Zammad is missing a language you want to add, then that’s easier and won’t require file changes.

Imho update safe

Andrew_ww · September 8, 2019, 8:30am

I feel a bit in debt to explain, what is it all about.

Our client has the idea to use a ticketing application fog general logistics purpose. They claim, if the application is flexible enough - like Zammad - it is possible. Of course, some of the application’s module will not be in use, and some of application’s text better be changed to make sense to the new context. How it is done, that is typically through translation, since that is, what changes text in the application.

If I understand it correctly, strings are scattered in the source code. That case, it takes hard effort on documenting the position of each one bit of text in the source code to make it practically possible to support updates in later versions. Correct me if I am wrong.

MrGeneration · September 9, 2019, 12:47pm

Well I guess the best way would be to use the built in translation to bend the translation to what you really need. We can’t allow such a custom translation to live in official translation which will make your life harder here.

Please note that those actions are not update safe, as soon as you update Zammad, the translations will be updated and might be discarded on the local site.
(More information about translation can be found here: https://admin-docs.zammad.org/en/latest/system-translations.html )

Strings in the source code are english, which is why you can’t translate that. You might re-use german if needed. Local translation bases are a rather bad idea and nothing official at the moment I can provide. Sorry.