Localizing the Interface of WebHelp Output (for DITA Map Transformations)

Static labels used in the WebHelp output are stored in translation files that have the strings-lang1-lang2.xml name format, where lang1 and lang2 are ISO language codes. For example, the US English labels are kept in the strings-en-us.xml file.

These translation files are collected from two locations:
  • DITA-OT-DIR/xsl/common folder - DITA-OT's default translations.
  • DITA-OT-DIR/plugins/[WebHelp_Directory]/oxygen-webhelp/resources/localization folder (where [WebHelp_Directory] is com.oxygenxml.webhelp.classic or com.oxygenxml.webhelp.responsive) - These translations are contributed by the WebHelp plugin and extend the default ones provided by DITA-OT. The labels defined in this folder take precedence over the DITA-OT default ones.
    Important: If you need to customize the translation labels, you should do this by updating the translation files found in the 2nd location listed above.

To localize the interface of the WebHelp output for DITA map transformations, follow these steps:

  1. Look for the strings-[lang1]-[lang2].xml file in DITA-OT-DIR/plugins/[WebHelp_Directory]/oxygen-webhelp/resources/localization folder (where [WebHelp_Directory] is com.oxygenxml.webhelp.classic or com.oxygenxml.webhelp.responsive). For example, the Canadian French file would be: strings-fr-ca.xml. If it does not exist, use the following procedure to create one:
    1. Create a new strings-fr-ca.xml file in DITA-OT-DIR/plugins/[WebHelp_Directory]/oxygen-webhelp/resources/localization folder (where [WebHelp_Directory] is com.oxygenxml.webhelp.classic or com.oxygenxml.webhelp.responsive).
    2. Copy all the labels found in the .../localization/strings-en-us.xml directory and paste them into the newly created file.
    3. Copy all the labels found in the DITA-OT_DIR/xsl/common/strings-en-us.xml and paste them into the newly created file.
  2. Translate all the labels from the above language file. Labels are stored in XML elements that have the following format: <str name="Label name">Caption</str>.
  3. Run the predefined transformation scenario called Run DITA OT Integrator by executing it from the Apply Transformation Scenario(s) dialog box. If the integrator is not visible, select the Show all scenarios action that is available in the Settings drop-down menu.
  4. Edit the DITA Map to WebHelp transformation scenarios (with or without feedback) and set the args.default.language parameter to the code of the language you want to localize (for example, fr-ca for Canadian French).
  5. Run the transformation scenario to produce the WebHelp output.