Background of the issue:
I am trying to understand and utilize WPML's Media Translation settings to translate media attributes like alt and title efficiently, without setting the same value mutliple times.
Symptoms:
First, I noticed that the WPML > Settings > Media Translation > "Translate media library texts with posts"’s purpose was to display the medias and alt and title related attributes in the CTE. -- Screenshot one. If this option is not ticked, then the Media Translation section won’t show up in the CTE.
Which is great since it allows to translate the medias from that screen and report it back to the media library: the vales I set here, will afterward be the data showing up in the media translation.
Unfortunately, the opposite is not true : a media’s attributes set from the Media Translation, won't make it to the CTE > Media Translation section, where the alt and title segments appear empty on the translation side.
Which is akward since that's a different behavior compare to what happens in the original post (In Gutenberg), where the alt is retrieved ONCE. Which in my opinion, is the rightbehavior, considering the workflow of editing content: it allows to automatically retrieve what’s bee set from the library (central media management), AND to adjust it locally it the post context if needed.
Explaining a bit differently:
1. I add a media from the medial library and set its title an alt attributes
2. I transate the file and alt and title through the WPML Media Translation page (THE central media translation management tool)
3. I add the original media in a new page, in a core/image block, where it gets the alt I set from the Media Livrary. I can also modify it locally If wanted, but this change won’t reset the media library original alt for that image.
4. I save my page
5. I translate the page to an alternative language >> I *do* see the image in the media section, the original title and alt on the left and… empty fields on the right: they don't retrieve the data from the Media Translation. And there's a second alt field (empty as well) for this image in the page builder section.
6. I must fill both of them manually to get my content 100% translated, and finalize the page translation.
7. The alt and text data set in the media translation will never make it to the pages > CTE > Media section, nor the it’s alt in the Page builder section.
And the latter is the only alt that will actually make it to the frontend.
I must fill 3 times the same data (in the Media Translation + CTE > Media translation + CTE > Page builder section) to get my translation to 100%, and the only one data that's actually exploited being the Page Builder Alt. Not to mention these mutilple translations are invoiced by the translators.
This is extremely time consuming and prone to error.
Why this workflow?
If the Media Translation data can't be automatically retrieved, and can't be rendered if filled again manuall, what's the purpose of that "Translate media library texts with posts" setting at all?
Finally, something EVEN MORE confusing:
Attempting to reproduce this behavior:
- I removed the completed translated page permanently
- I cleared WPML Cache,
- I removed ghost entries from translation table
- I cleared all transient
Then if I re-translate that page, from scratch… then still get the post image’s translated data from my very first attempt (with values saying where the data was set)! It tested it 5 times, increasing the clearing steps up to the aforementioned ones, with the same results.
Questions:
What's the purpose of that 'Translate media library texts with posts' setting if it doesn't sends to the CTE, the data set from the Media Translation panel for the corresponding medias, AND if ever these get filled, they won't be used in the frontend?
Is there anything else I can clear to ensure that previous translation data does not persist?
Is there something wrong with the way it works our this website?
Any explanation about this whole process would be very appreciated.
We need to replicate this issue on a fresh WordPress installation. Then I'll be able to escalate it to our compatibility team. To achieve this, I created a test website with a clean WordPress installation. You can access it through this link:
hidden link
With this link, you'll be directly logged in.
I've already installed and configured WPML to have English as the default language and French as the second language. The Media translation add-on is also active and set up. In WPML -> Settings -> Translation Editor, I selected the Classic Translation Editor, which, as I understand, is your preferred Translation Editor. Please note that we recommend using the Advanced Translation Editor. Important! Do not import your site to the test site. We must replicate the problem on a fresh, clean WordPress installation.
Please record a video with your voiceover to explain what you are doing. You can use the free online screencast service Komodo - hidden link.
If you manage to do that within one week, please reply here.
If you need more time than one week, please let me know, as I will need to extend the sandbox. (Our system deletes them if no entries for over one week or two.