In the realm of software development, especially in today's fast-paced environment, efficiency isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a critical factor in maintaining market competitiveness. This likely explains why automations are so highly valued in our field. Time saved in one area can be reinvested elsewhere, creating a slight edge over competitors. In this post, I’ll explain how a simple integration can automate parts of your localization workflow, saving time while making the process more organized and enjoyable.
What Does Automation Really Mean?
Automation can be defined as a process that leverages technology to perform certain tasks with minimal human effort, thereby saving time, reducing errors, and scaling processes efficiently. In the field of software development, it refers to streamlining tasks such as coding, testing, localization, and deployment, among others. This enables faster delivery of features, minimizes errors associated with manual work, and improves overall efficiency.
The Rise of Automation in Software Localization
Software localization has existed since the early days of computing. One of the first major advancements that made software localization easier was the separation of UI text from the codebase. This separation streamlined both app development and translation processes, allowing changes in one area to proceed without affecting the other—enabling parallel work.
However, developers and translators soon encountered challenges: exchanging localization files was slow, translations across languages were inconsistent, and translators often lacked context. This led to efforts to create a centralized platform where both teams could collaborate effectively. Initially, solutions like Excel spreadsheets were used, but they were soon replaced by specialized localization platforms. These platforms offered features like seamless collaboration, machine translation, translation memory, glossaries, screenshot context, and numerous integrations—all designed to accelerate the localization process.
Today, I’d like to highlight the benefits of a simple yet powerful integration that can save time, reduce cognitive load, and streamline localization workflow: connecting your localization platform directly to your code repository. Below are some key advantages this integration offers:
- Save time: A single click is faster than manually downloading files, sending emails or Slack messages about translation updates, and then reintegrating those files into the code.
- Fewer errors: No matter how small the task, manual work carries the risk of mistakes. Automation eliminates this entirely.
- Reduced cognitive load: Once the integration is set up, you can stop worrying about it. A single click automatically creates a PR in your code repo (e.g., GitHub).
- Organized workflow: A well-structured process keeps your team happier and more productive when collaborating.
- Faster release cycles: The time saved and manual errors avoided translate to quicker, smoother releases.
The diagram above offers a simplified overview of this type of integration. For this example, I've used the code repository platform and localization platform that I most commonly work with. However, it's important to note that other code repository platforms and localization platforms should also be capable of supporting this kind of integration.
An extra step that could further enhance this workflow involves setting up a hook in your code repository. This hook can automatically trigger the pulling of localization files from the code repository to the localization platform, further streamlining and accelerating the localization process.
Final Thoughts
In this post, I've presented a simple integration between your localization platform and your code repository platform designed to streamline your localization workflow and save valuable time. Additionally, I've outlined the benefits of such integration. If you're already utilizing a localization platform to manage localization files and translations, this information might help you to simplify your processes and make your work more efficient.
