vendure/packages/dashboard/scripts/translate

Vendure Dashboard Translation Tooling

The script in this dir allow the efficient addition of new translations to the dashboard.

Adding a New Language

1. Add the new language code to packages/dashboard/lingui.config.js
2. run lingui extract

This will create the new, empty .po file in packages/dashboard/src/i18n/locales

Generating new translations

When you add new localized strings to the Dashboard app, you can generate translations in each supported language like this:

1. run npm run i18n:extract
2. this will output a missing-translations.txt file in the dashboard dir
3. paste this into an LLM
4. save the output into translations.txt in the dashboard dir
5. run npm run i18n:apply translations.txt

Translation Guidelines

General Principles

1. Preserve Technical Terms: Keep terms like "API", "GraphQL", "JSON", "SKU" untranslated
2. Maintain Placeholders: Never modify placeholders like {0}, {formattedDiff}, {entityName}
3. Use Formal Address: Use formal addressing appropriate for business software
4. Brand Names: Keep "Vendure" and other brand names untranslated
5. Context Awareness: Consider the UI context when translating

Critical Lingui-Specific Rules

1. Explicit ID Translations: For entries marked with "js-lingui-explicit-id" (e.g., orderState.PartiallyDelivered), translate ONLY the human-readable part, NOT the namespace:

   • ✅ "orderState.PartiallyDelivered" → "Partiellement livré" (French)
   • ❌ "orderState.PartiallyDelivered" → "orderState.Partiellement livré"

2. E-commerce Domain Context: Always assume e-commerce context unless clearly indicated otherwise:

   • "order" = e-commerce order (goods being purchased)
   • "customer" = e-commerce customer (buyer)
   • "product" = e-commerce product (item for sale)
   • "variant" = product variant (size, color, etc.)

File Structure

packages/dashboard/src/i18n/locales/
├── en.po          # Source English file
├── de.po          # German translations
├── fr.po          # French translations (after creation)
└── ...            # Other language files

Tips for Quality Translations

1. Test in Context: Always test translations in the actual UI
2. Consistency: Use consistent terminology across the application
3. Length Considerations: Some languages are more verbose - ensure UI still works
4. Cultural Adaptation: Consider cultural differences in business terminology
5. Regular Updates: Keep translations updated when English source changes