Tridion 2009 Blueprinting Website Translation

Question

In Tridion, I am trying to translate my English site into a German site. My approach is that we use a synergistic heir. English content will be placed in a separate folder, which will be used for translation into German. To import my German XML files, I need to localize the components in a German folder. Is there a way for me to localize entire folders, structure groups, and even publication groups?

Answer 1

I should recommend against doing so a lot before importing German objects. It would be better to localize items separately during import. This will mean that you are still getting changes to the inherited elements, such as images and metadata. Always avoid localization if absolutely necessary.

Answer 2

Although some parts of this question are a bit perplexing and probably (forgive me if I am wrong) a sign of limited experience with Tridion, the question itself is very clear: is it possible to localize entire folders or groups of structures or even publications? Answer: yes, it is possible, but only through the API. The GUI allows you to localize all items in a specific folder or group of structures, but it will not localize items deeper in the / SG folder hierarchy. You will need to write code that achieves this, perhaps through a basic service (which is a WCF web service) or perhaps with a GUI extension.

On the one hand: when you do this, you need to decide what exactly you want to achieve. For example: what types of items inside a folder do you want to localize? My hunch is that these are only components, but maybe you want to localize (sub) folders and other types of elements as well.

Answer 3

When localizing an organization element (for example, a folder), it localizes only this element. I think you are asking if it is possible to localize all the elements contained inside by localizing their parent element in the organization. I believe that you need to resort to:

• A GUI extension where you can create your own localize child button.
• An event system in which you can write an event handler that will fire when an organization element is localized, which, in turn, recursively localizes any elements inside it.

Answer 4

We have at least two quick options in CME. *

Inside an Organization Element

• CTRL + A
• Localization (right-clicking or using the button on the Organize tab) then localizes all the first-level elements in the organizational element

Through search

• Do an advanced search
• Check Include Subfolders
• Optional set Types to Components
• CTRL + A
• Localization then localizes all selected items.

You can also use CTRL + Click to deselect certain items.

* They work, at least in SDL Tridion 2011, although I have seen CTRL + A and SHIFT-select, which still work in R5.3.

As Nick describes, you probably don't want to localize the elements of your organization. Consider Quirijn's software options and Chris’s warning of reduced localization. See some recommendations on this subject in SDLTridion for Strategists .