Using the Filesystem Connector

With 10 commands and 65+ options, the Filesystem Connector lets you request and manage translations from your command line tool. Simply install the Filesystem Connector on the drive where your files are stored. Then request translations, add documents to projects, and download completed translations.
 

Using the connector offers several advantages.
 

  1. Files stay on the file system.

    Enterprise uploads your files to the TMS directly from your file system. No need to zip them up to add them to a project and no need for version control.

     
  2. Update easily.

    Once a project is created with the Filesystem Connector, the connector keeps track of which files were added or updated within the directory. Using a simple command, the PM can automatically request translations for all new and updated files. No need to manually upload updated files to the TMS. The connector detects the updates.

     
  3. Upload multiple file types.

    Unlike the TMS, the Filesystem Connector does not require the PM to upload one file type at a time. It can add all files in a specific directory to any Enterprise project (as long as they are supported file types, of course).
    This means the PM can upload an entire directory to Enterprise – without having to create separate zip files for each file type.

     
  4. Rebuild the file structure in another language.

    The Filesystem Connector can automatically rebuild entire directories, complete with all of their files, in another language. (Currently the Filesystem Connector downloads the translated document back into the original directory and appends the locale code to the end of the file name).

 


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How it Works

Using the table below as a guide, create an Enterprise translation project with the Filesystem Connector command prompt.
 

Key Points

  • Start by downloading the connector.
  • Run ltk init on the directory you wish to manage (outlined below)
    Unless you change the directory, all commands run during the session will be run on the directory initialized via ltk init.
  • To get help: Type “ltk -h" in the command line.



To do this

Run this command

Tips, Examples

More information

Download the Filesystem Connector

n/a

Click here for instructions.

Download the Filesystem Connector to the drive where the files you want to translate are saved.

Open the command prompt


Go to your list of programs and search for “command prompt.”

 

Using the command prompt, open the directory you wish to translate

cd [file path]

cd Documents/marketing/campaigns/emails
cd "Google Drive"


Create a translation project

ltk init

ltk init

Log into Enterprise and grant the Filesystem Connector permission to access TMS. 

  • When you run init, it creates an Enterprise project (for the active directory).
  • You can run init in different directories to set up multiple projects or the same project in multiple directories. ltk commands must be executed from within the directory (or a sub-directory) where ltk init was performed, and the commands are then associated with the corresponding initiated project.


This command initializes an Enterprise translation project for the current directory.



Choose a community

[type number for Enterprise community]

If you only have one community, skip this step.


  • A list of communities displays. Choose the Enterprise community where you want to create the translation project.


Go back to the command prompt, and choose a community

Choose a project

[y/n]

Create a new translation project or add files to an existing translation project.


  • If creating new project, type in a name.
    No special naming conventions required.





Designate a download folderltk config -d

Choose where completed translations will be downloaded. A new download folder can be designated for each project.

ltk config -d Documents/Marketing/Emails



Add documents to the project

ltk add + [filepath for documents you want to translate]

When adding documents to a project, they must be children of the parent directory initialized at the beginning.


Add documents…


  1. From the current directory:
    ltk add .
     
  2. From a single directory:
    ltk add "Google Drive/drafts/documentation"
     
  3. From several directories
    Separate each directory with a space:
    ltk add Documents/marketing/ Documents/campaigns Documents/emails
     
  4. Add a single document
    ltk add “Google Docs/__current_drafts/getting_started.docx”


Upload the documents from the current directory to the TMS.


Note: When adding a directory to a translation project, you’re adding all of its contents – including all of its files and sub-directories – to the translation project.




Request translation (by target)

ltk request

Type ltk request (followed by target languages) to request translations.

(tick) When listing multiple locales, separate them with a space.
(tick) Type locales in this format: language(lower case)_LOCALE (upper case),
e.g. fr_FR
 

ltk request fr_FR

ltk request -p . fr_FR

ltk request -p . fr_FR de_DE es_ES pt_PT


First example: Request translations for all local documents in the project.


Last two examples: Request translations for the current directory.

Check document translation statuses

ltk status

Display status for all docs in currently selected directory or project.


ltk status

See if translations are done.

(Displays percent completion next to each document).

Publish completed translations for a specific directory/locale

ltk download

Example


(single target language)

ltk download de_DE Documents/Marketing/Emails


(multiple target languages)

When downloading multiple target languages, separate them with commas and no spaces:
ltk download de_DE,fr_FR,es_ES,pt_PT Documents/Marketing/Emails


Download completed translations to your file system.


The locale is appended to the file name, and each translated document appears in the same directory as the original version of the document (default) or in a specified download folder.


After running the basic commands outlined above, you may wish to run additional commands to further manage the project. Use the table below, or refer to the full list of commands here


Request translations for updates (new files and updated files).


ltk watch

watch checks for updates in both Enterprise and the filesystem.


  • If Enterprise has finished any translations since the last watch, the updated documents are downloaded to the file system.


  • If any files were updated, the updated versions are added to the Enterprise project.


  • With no watch folder specified, if any new files were added, you must add them to the project using ltk add. (watch will not add them automatically).


  • With a watch folder specified, watch will automatically add new files in the folder to the project.


This command also downloads completed translations.

Add settings to a translation project

ltk config

Use ltk config to add targets or change the workflow on a translation project.


(ltk config is often used in conjunction with ltk watch. For more information, type “ltk config --help” in the command prompt).


Send updated files to Enterpriseltk push

ltk push

Sends updated content to Enterprise for re-translation.

If files in the active directory have been updated, they will be sent to Enterprise for re-translation.

Publish all completed translations

ltk pull

ltk pull


Downloads all translations of local documents from the current Enterprise project to your filesystem.


(This command overwrites all existing translations with new translations)

Publishes all translations for all directories.


Note: Translations are downloaded even if they are not completed. If no translation has taken place, the original document will be downloaded with the locale extension.

Delete files from a translation project

ltk rm

Removes files from the Enterprise project.

Note: This command acts on files in the active directory.


ltk rm .

ltk rm “Documents/Marketing/Emails”

Use this command to remove any files you no longer wish to translate from a Enterprise project.



Next: Commands