SharePoint connector

SharePoint is a collaborative platform used by enterprises to create intranet pages and manage collections of documents. SharePoint is typically integrated with Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Windows. 

Enterprises that create content for their intranet often need their pages translated into multiple languages for use across the organization. The memoQ-SharePoint connector can be used by enterprises to translate their SharePoint content using either their own memoQ TMS or to work with an LSP (language service provider) to have it translated. The connector can also be used by LSPs to translate their customers’ SharePoint pages.  

Users select the pages they want to be translated and send them to memoQ TMS. The translation status is then tracked in the connector. The automated workflow in memoQ TMS simplifies and enhances the creation and management of projects with automatic file import, pre-translation, assignment, and delivery back to the SharePoint connector. With newly added automation, the translated content is published in SharePoint automatically. 

How it works

The connector takes advantage of the multilingual framework of SharePoint. The framework has one default language per site which is also the default source language. The connector creates target language folders for every page to be translated and generates a copy of the source page there. This page (the so-called language copy) is later automatically overwritten by the translation. When the SharePoint user changes the language of the original page, SharePoint seamlessly switches to the newly chosen language copy. Sending the copies for translation is managed in the connector application. The connector lists available pages and the available languages of the pages. It also includes information on the status of the translation for tracking purposes, and it shows the available languages and the existing copies. 

What can be automated

Automation can be achieved in the connector and in memoQ on several levels:  

  • A memoQ project can be created automatically if workflow automation is set up in the memoQ CMS Dashboard. As soon as new content is sent to memoQ TMS from the connector, a pre-defined memoQ project template is used to create the project. 
  • Automated actions in the memoQ project can be configured to perform certain predefined tasks in the project, based on selected project events. 
  • The translated page can automatically be delivered to SharePoint as a draft. 
  • If Premium PowerAutomate is available in the customer’s Microsoft subscription, it is possible to set up PowerAutomate Flows to send content to memoQ via the connector, e.g., by selecting an item in the context menu of SharePoint. The information about the translation job will also be displayed in the user interface of the connector. 

What is currently possible

The connector currently supports sending SharePoint pages/posts for translation as .aspx files Support for additional file types such as assets or documents stored on SharePoint will be added in a future release. 

Additional notes

SharePoint sites have a generic source language defined when the site is created. A newly created page is identified by SharePoint as being in that generic language of the site, regardless of the actual language in which it is writtenFor example, a SharePoint site may have English as its default language. Even if a new page is created in French, SharePoint will identify it as English. This can be confusing, and it forces customers to create original content in the default site language. But customers sometimes prefer to create original content in a language different than the default, and then translate back into the default site source language. The connector aids this workflow by automatically organizing the pages in the appropriate language folders. It creates a language copy to house the original non-default language content and overwrites the default site language page with the relevant back translation into the generic site language. 

Integration with Git-based repositories

The new integration handles single branch integration, implementing the current Content Connector functionality for the connector, which also provides the usual functionalities and automation possibilities (multiple connections, directory and file level filtering rules, export rule management) of memoQ. Read more about memoQ’s content connector here.

Starting with memoQ 9.8, any user having access to the server computer where Content Connector Server and Client are installed can set up and manage the connections of the Git Connector plugin. It is also possible to use a remote computer to manage connections (credentials, filters, export path rules, etc.), except for cloning and fetching the remote repository.

GitLab

GitLab is a complete DevOps platform, delivered as a single application that is used by more than 100,000 organizations. GitLab also has an active community of 2200+ contributors. Covering the whole development lifecycle, GitLab helps teams enhance cycle time, reduce development costs and time to market while boosting developer productivity.

Github

GitHub, now a subsidiary of Microsoft, is an American web-based hosting service for version control using Git. It is mostly used for computer code. It offers all the distributed version control and source code management (SCM) functionality of Git as well as its own features. It provides access control and several collaboration features such as bug tracking, feature requests, task management, and wikis for every project. GitHub reported more than 37 million users and 100+ million repositories, including 28 million public repositories in May 2019, making it the largest host of source code in the world.

Bitbucket

Bitbucket is an online version control repository hosting service, a single platform for teams to plan projects, collaborate on code, test, and deploy. Bitbucket has originally marketed its services to professional developers with private proprietary software code, especially since being acquired by Atlassian in 2010. As of April 2019, Atlassian announced that Bitbucket reached more than 10 million users and over 28 million repositories.

Content Connectors

Many companies have content that needs to be published in multiple languages, and when this content changes, the translations must also be quickly updated. Agile localization, website localization are just two examples of such content. There are rules determining what needs to be translated into what languages and the file types are predefined as well. Such content is often stored in the file system, or embedded in web content management systems, document management systems or version management systems. Content connectors allow the automation of content pickup and routing, removing the need for project management and allowing seamless processes.

How it works?

Suppose that you are a translation company and your customer uses an FTP site for transferring project documents. You can install a Content Connector next to the FTP site which will monitor the FTP folders, and according to predefined rules, import the changed content into different memoQ online projects.

 

In the projects, you can select the correct series of steps to perform, and documents can be automatically assigned to the right translators and reviewers, also on a FirstAccept basis, meaning that the first person in a group to claim the translation job gets it.

The customer now updates some documents and adds new documents on the FTP site. Content Connectors see that new files have been added and some have been changed. The updated files are added to the project as new versions and the new documents are added as new files.

All translators, reviewers and project managers receive emails about new job assignments, and customers can also receive an email with the number of words to be translated.

The final files are then delivered back to the FTP folder, to the location of your choice.

 

Benefits:

Automated ways to get changed or new content imported for translation

Automated preparation and analysis of documents

Automated assignment of users based on your requirements

Automated delivery of files

You can work with very short project deadlines and very low project management overhead