Call for translations

POZNAN, ESPOO, Jan 4th 2003

As Aegir CMS moves toward its 1.0 final release, we are calling for community members to help translate the user interface into different languages. Making Aegir CMS available in multiple languages is essential for its adoption worldwide.

Why Translations Matter

One of Aegir CMS's key features is its support for multilingual user interfaces. Content editors should be able to work in their native language, regardless of the language of the content they're managing. This makes the system more accessible and reduces the learning curve for non-English speaking users.

Current Status

Aegir CMS currently has complete or partial translations for:

  • English — Complete (reference language)
  • Polish — Complete
  • Finnish — Complete

Languages Needed

We are particularly looking for translators for:

  • German — High priority, significant user base in Germany, Austria, Switzerland
  • French — High priority, widely used in Europe and worldwide
  • Spanish — Large potential user base in Spain and Latin America
  • Italian — Requested by Italian users
  • Dutch — Interest from Netherlands users
  • Swedish — Nordic region interest
  • Russian — Growing market in Eastern Europe
  • Japanese — Interest from Asian market
  • Other languages — All translations welcome!

What Needs to be Translated

Translation work includes:

  • User interface strings — Button labels, menu items, form labels (approximately 400-500 strings)
  • System messages — Error messages, confirmations, notifications
  • Help text — Tooltips and inline help
  • Documentation — Installation guides and user manuals (optional but helpful)

Translation Framework

Aegir CMS uses a straightforward localization system:

  • String files — Translations stored in language-specific PHP files
  • Key-value format — Simple associative arrays mapping English keys to translated strings
  • Context provided — Comments explain where strings are used
  • No special tools required — Can be edited with any text editor

How to Contribute

If you'd like to help translate Aegir CMS:

  1. Contact us — Email [email protected] indicating which language(s) you can help with
  2. Receive translation template — We'll send you the English source strings
  3. Translate strings — Provide translations for the interface strings
  4. Test if possible — If you can install Aegir CMS, test your translations in the actual interface
  5. Submit translations — Send completed translation files back to us

Translation Guidelines

When translating, please keep in mind:

  • Consistency — Use consistent terminology throughout
  • Context — Consider where the string appears in the interface
  • Length — Try to keep translations roughly similar in length to English (for UI fitting)
  • Formality — Match the appropriate level of formality for your language/culture
  • Technical terms — Some technical terms may be kept in English or adapted as appropriate
  • Placeholders — Preserve any %s, {variable}, or similar placeholders in strings

Translator Recognition

Contributors will be credited:

  • In the Aegir CMS credits file
  • On the project website
  • In the language selection interface

Ongoing Maintenance

Translation is an ongoing process. As Aegir CMS evolves, new strings will be added. We're looking for translators who can help maintain translations over time, though this is not required for initial contributions.

Questions?

If you have questions about the translation process or need clarification on specific strings, please:

Help Make Aegir CMS Global

Your translation contributions will help make Aegir CMS accessible to users around the world. Whether you can translate a complete language pack or just help review and improve existing translations, your help is valuable and appreciated!

Thank you for considering contributing to Aegir CMS internationalization!