Elementor users - please update WPML to the latest version to maintain compatibility. More details here - https://wpml.org/changelog/2024/12/wpml-4-6-15-critical-update-for-elementor-sites/
In the referred ticket, Andrès encourages to move to the Advanced Translation Editor. Nowadays, that is also my preferred editor because it has it's own translation memory. However, when you work with a translation agency, either connected as a service to WPML (I use TextMaster) or by exporting/importing XLIFF files, then all their translations are stored in the Classic editor format, meaning you are stuck with the classic editor.
What I am trying to say is that when you prefer people to use the ATE, you will need to make the classic editor and the ATE compatible. That should probably start with ensuring that XLIFF exports/imports contain the exact same translation units (sentences) as the ATE. And then allow us to edit them with the ATE.
Is that something that is one the roadmap?
(I have already submitted that as a request a long time ago)
It is a PHP tool inside WPML and inside your WordPress installation. It works as a part of the WPML plugin codebase and is a legacy one and will not be updated.
The fact that it resides on wpml.org servers, gives it the ability to create a translation memory and connect to automatic translation engines such as DeepL.
Those two tools are IN NO SHAPE OR FORM compatible and WILL NOT be compatible in the future.
The whole point of the Advanced Translation Editor is to provide an alternative to give a better experience.
Now that we established that the two tools WILL NOT be compatible let me give you the way that you can force the translation service to use Advanced Translation Editor.
- You will need to select ATE as the default translation editor
- You will need to disconnect the translations of your pages and delete the translations done by Classic Editor
- You will need to do the translation from scratch with Advanced Translation Editor.
So here are the steps:
- Go to "WPML > Settings > Translation Editor > Editor for new translations" and select "Advanced Translation Editor (recommended)"
- Go to "WPML > Settings > Translation Editor > Editor for translations previously created using Classic Translation Editor" and select "Advanced Translation Editor".
- That option will FORCE all old translations to work with Advanced Translation Editor and that means you will lose the previous translations that you have done with Classic translation editor and you need to do it from scratch with Advanced Translation Editor.
- Do a change on the page for the original language.
- Now if you click the translation the ATE will show.
- Now if you send the XLIFF for the translation service the result will come back in ATE.
Warning:I want to make sure that you understand that you will LOSE whatever you have done with Classic Editor and that is inevitable. Because CTE and ATE are NOT compatible dure to the reason I explained above
Thanks for explaining. I think I chose the wrong wording in asking to make the classic and advanced translation editor compatible. It doesn't make sense and is not what I meant to say. I meant that the XLIFF file and connection to translation agencies (like TextMaster) should be compatible.
If I correctly understand your explanation then that's exactly what WPML does, but let me make sure that if I choose the ATE as my preferred editor the following will happen:
1) An export/import of an XLIFF file will use the ATE format? And when I make a small change in the source language and then edit the translation myself, this will happen in the ATE (and not classic)?
2) If I connect TextMaster as a translation agency/service and let them translate, I get the translations back in the ATE? And when I then make a small change in the source language and edit the translation myself, this will also happen in the ATE (and not classic)?
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I understand that old content would need to be translated from scratch.
To permanently move away from classic, WPML would need a translation alignment feature to convert and match pre-existing source/target translations. 20 years ago Trados already had such a tool, see here: hidden link
2) Yes but first you need to do a small change in the original language to see that now ATE is activated when you click on the translation.
Then yes as you change the original language a new job ID will be generated and if you send that Xliff file it will be ATE based.
I suggest that you test it for one page with the translation service and see the result.
Thank you for your last comment, but as I mentioned it is not possible and you will need to do the translation from scratch. I made myself clear about that.
That's awesome, I'll prefer to work with the ATE. Thanks for confirming.
I tried to test that, but the exported XLIFF is invalid.
- WPML is set to use the ATE for new translations.
- I created this page with only 4 sentences hidden link
- I added the page to the basked and sent it to the first available translator
- Then I went to WPML » Translations and exported to XLIFF format 1.2.
- If I open that file, it doesn't contain the sentences that need to be translated. I also tested on another site, same issuse
I can't upload the file here so I copied the contents below.
- If I try to translate manually it opens the ATE with the correct sentences.
===============================
I know WPML can't do translation alignment. I mentioned this as a which / feature request.
===============================
-------------------------------
----- Content of xliff file ------
-------------------------------
I tested and it worked with no issues, the sentences are there in XLIFF file at the end. Please check the screenshot
Here are the steps:
- Go to WP Dashboard > Pages and go to the page edit screen.
- Change something in the original language and make sure ATE is enabled.
- Go to WPML > Translation Management
- Select the page in question and click the blue button at the bottom.
- Go to the Translation basket.
- At the bottom of the screen make sure you select FIRST AVAILABLE instead of TEXT MASTER for all languages.
- Click the blue button.
- Go to WPML > Translations.
- Select the translation you want (for example Nederlands » Duits pair)
- At the bottom click the export button.
- It will give you a zip file with all the job IDs
- Open the latest Job ID and you will see that the changes reflect int he XLIFF file.
You translated the page in the ATE and then exported it to XLIFF. That is not how it works when you use a translation service.
The use case is this:
- I have a Dutch text
- I export the XLIFF and have it translated to English
- I import the translated XLIFF back into WPML
- Then I change the price of an item in the Dutch source
- So I open the ATE to also update the price in the translation
- The ATE does not show the previous translations
Then were are back at my original statement and question:
If you encourage people to use the ATE and move away from the legacy classic editor, then you will need to make sure that professional translations via XLIFF or via WPML connection to a translation service are compatible with the ATE.
I do understand it's not possible now because XLIFF/Connections use the old code base inside the wp plugin and that the ATE uses a difference code base on your servers, but of course that can change. That's what software development is all about.
So, is that something that is one the roadmap?
(I have already submitted that as a request a long time ago)
