Import method is the most important import option in Sisulizer’s Import Wizard. It specifies how Sisulizer will support imported contents. To select an import method use the “Import Wizard – Options” step of the wizard.
Sisulizer supports three import methods:
- By context
- By value
- By context first then by value
Because each method can produce different results, so it sometimes confuses our customers. However, I decided to use here an exercise based on a small sample SLP, instead of standard article.
Example
This is our example, main SLP file.
Below is imported SLP file.
Please don’t worry about below results of different import settings. Our example is very specific, both the original and the translation column are in English, both SLP files contain duplicates translated in different way (expect one string). There are no typical duplicates of strings commonly occurred in standard an application for example “OK” or “Cancel”.
Localization resources can contain dozens occurrences of those strings, and “By value” or “By context first then by value” could be the best solution for quick importing good translations. Actually, this example shows general behavior of different import settings, so don’t take this example into the consideration, when you would like to select best method of import. Your choice should depend on your needs and specific resource contents.
Import results
- Import method: By context
- Overwrite method: Never
- Import method: By context
- Overwrite method: Always
By context method always gives most accurate translations, because import is based only on context, while context in Sisulizer projects is always unique. This is very good solution if your SLP should contain duplicates translated in different way. By the other hand, it gives less translations than By value method, if imported file doesn’t contain translations for duplicates.
- Import method: By value
- Overwrite method: Never
- Import method: By value
- Overwrite method: Always
By value method do not use context at all, and it compare only originals in both SLP files. When imported file contains duplicates translated in different ways, Sisulizer use always translation for first occurrence of original found in imported SLP. This is, because context is ignored, while originals are identical and Sisulizer doesn’t know which translations should be used. In our example Sisulizer use “Trabant is the best German car”, while “Volksvagen is also good German car” is ignored.
- Import method: By context first then by value
- Overwrite method: Never
- Import method: By context first then by value
- Overwrite method: Always
By context first then by value method combine merits of both previously described methods, and for this reason this is my favorite method. First Sisulizer try import translations based on context. Next, for not imported items in first import pass based on context, Sisulizer use by value method. So for all items with matched items, even originals translated in different ways, you’ll get accurate translations. Additionally, for other items Sisulizer use translations based on originals – for example, when your main SLP contains 30 “Cancel” originals and imported file only one “Cancel” translation, this translation will be used for “cancel” originals in your main SLP.
Notes
- For clarify, we used here different settings for two Import options only (import method and overwrite method), while in our Import Wizard you can customize lot of things, so your import results could be different, depending on selected settings.
- Be careful with using By value method always setting for Overwrite method. It could cause replacing good translations of duplicates in main SLP by undesired translations.
- Read this article with hints about assigning different translation statuses for items imported with different import methods.
- Homework – with By value method all items have been translated, expect the last. Why?
- Look on By value (value for money?) import results – Trabant is winner!
Janusz Grzybek
