What localization means in this product
Localization in Letter Builder is more than translating paragraph text. It includes template content, user-specific values, print selection, and in some cases company-facing terminology used in generated output.
Language support in the codebase
- The app seeds a large set of languages, including English and many global and regional options.
- Templates can be authored in multiple languages.
- Users can have language-specific translation records.
- Employees can print approved letters in one of the template's supported languages.
Why user translations exist separately from template translations
Template translation answers: “How should the letter text read in this language?” User translation answers: “How should this employee's personal or job-related data appear in this language?” Those are related questions, but not the same question.
Localization strategy that works well
- Author template wording carefully per language rather than using literal translation patterns everywhere.
- Keep placeholder keys identical across language versions.
- Add user translations for fields that need localized presentation, especially names, job titles, departments, and employment labels.
- Test print output in every language you plan to support operationally, not just in the editor.
Why duplicate user translation languages are blocked
A user can only have one translation record per language. This removes ambiguity and makes localization predictable. If a user had two Amharic translations, the system would need arbitrary rules for which one wins.
Localization edge cases
- Template text translated but user data not translated: output may look partially localized.
- Language exists globally but not on a template: that language cannot be printed for that letter type.
- Regional naming differences: two valid translations may both be correct, but your organization still needs one consistent standard.
- Older records without translations: some historic letters may still rely on base user values.
Localization quality checklist
- The template wording reads naturally in the target language.
- The placeholder names are unchanged across languages.
- The user translation exists for important employee-facing terms.
- The chosen print language has been tested in a final output view.