New Translation Option Supports Localization of iHRIS Software

Translation of the iHRIS software beyond English has expanded and is now available through Translatewiki. Translatewiki is a platform that brings together translation communities, language communities, and free and open source software projects, like iHRIS.

iHRIS is specifically designed for use by Ministries of Health, professional health councils, and other organizations in low-resource countries. Since the software is open source, these organizations can download it and customize it for free to meet their specific needs. In order for iHRIS to reach as many users as possible, though, there is a great need for it to be translated into other languages.

Translatewiki currently supports localization for twenty-two select open source projects, as well as translation into hundreds of languages. As the site aids translating iHRIS into multiple languages, more organizations in more countries can more easily start implementing and using the software.

Benefits of Translatewiki

Until recently, translation of the iHRIS software has been solely managed through the iHRIS Launchpad site. Launchpad is the site that hosts the iHRIS code for download. While Launchpad facilitates many functions related to software code, Translatewiki specifically focuses on volunteers who want to translate software into their native language. So, what Translatewiki brings, that Launchpad lacks, is a dedicated community of translators, along with additional exposure for iHRIS.

The iHRIS developers will continue to use Launchpad to host all of the iHRIS software source code, including translations. Once iHRIS content has been translated through the iHRIS Translatewiki site, Translatewiki staff integrate the changes back onto the iHRIS Launchpad site.

Before and After Translatewiki

When translation into a language reaches 70-80% completion, it will be automatically included in the next release of the iHRIS software as a language option. Previous releases of the iHRIS software (prior to incorporating translations from Translate wiki) included the following language options: Estonian, French, Italian, and Portuguese.

The before and after images below (captured from screenshots of Launchpad) show the progress made with iHRIS translation since the introduction of Translatewiki. Note the translation of iHRIS into new languages – including Dutch, German, Macedonian, and Tagalog, as well as some Russian and Chinese – in a very short amount of time. (Green indicates translated text. Red indicates untranslated text.)