Tidy Up Your Translations with Kanta - Krzysztof Janiec - Elixir Meetup #15

Find out more about an open-source tool developed by Curiosum to streamline translations in Elixir and Phoenix projects. Learn how Kanta simplifies the process of managing multilingual content, making it easier for developers and translators alike.

About Krzysztof Janiec

Krzysztof Janiec is a full-stack developer with over five years of experience in Elixir, React, and React Native. Before diving into Elixir, Krzysztof was a Ruby on Rails developer. He is passionate about clean code and architecture, as well as brewing beer in his spare time.

Understanding the Need for Kanta

The Limitations of Gettext

Krzysztof begins by discussing the limitations of Gettext, the current standard for handling translations in Elixir projects. While Gettext is effective for small projects, it can become cumbersome when dealing with large applications that require translations in multiple languages.

Key Challenges:

• File-Based System: Changes to translation files require a new release of the application.
• Complex Structure: Managing numerous translation files can be overwhelming.
• Lack of Tracking: Difficult to monitor missing or outdated translations.

Introducing Kanta

What is Kanta?

Kanta is an open-source tool designed to address the limitations of Gettext by providing a more user-friendly interface for managing translations. It integrates seamlessly with existing Gettext files and offers additional features to enhance the translation workflow.

Key Features of Kanta:

• Database Integration: Translations are stored in a database, allowing for more dynamic updates.
• User-Friendly Interface: Provides an intuitive UI for adding and modifying translations.
• Translation Tracking: Monitors missing and outdated translations.
• Integration with TMS Tools: Supports CSV and JSON imports from popular translation management systems.

Setting Up Kanta

Installation

Krzysztof explains the straightforward installation process for Kanta, which involves adding the dependency to the mix file, configuring the application, and setting up the database.

Key Steps:

1. Add Dependency: Include Kanta in the mix file.
2. Configure Application: Set up the endpoint, repo, and project root.
3. Create Migrations: Use the provided migration module to create necessary database tables.
4. Update Router: Add Kanta's routes to the Phoenix router for accessing the UI.

Using Kanta

Managing Translations

Kanta provides a simple and intuitive interface for managing translations. Users can easily add, modify, and delete translations, ensuring that all multilingual content is up-to-date and accurate.

Key Actions:

• Add Translation: Enter the original text and the translated text for each language.
• Modify Translation: Update existing translations as needed.
• Delete Translation: Remove outdated or incorrect translations.

Benefits of Kanta

Efficiency and Flexibility

By integrating translations into a database and providing a user-friendly UI, Kanta significantly improves the efficiency of managing multilingual content. It also allows for more flexibility in handling dynamic updates without requiring new application releases.

Key Benefits:

• Reduced Overhead: No need to release a new version of the application for translation updates.
• Enhanced Usability: Simplifies the translation process for non-technical users.
• Improved SEO: Ensures that translated content is properly indexed by search engines.

Roadmap and Future Development

Upcoming Features

Krzysztof shares the future plans for Kanta, including publishing the release candidate to Hex, adding translation tracking to the UI, testing complex scenarios, and integrating with translation management systems.

Future Goals:

• Hex Release: Make Kanta available on Hex for easier installation and updates.
• UI Enhancements: Add tracking features to the UI to monitor missing translations.
• Integration with TMS: Support for importing and exporting translations from popular TMS tools.

Conclusion

Krzysztof Janiec's presentation at Elixir Meetup #15 provides a comprehensive introduction to Kanta, highlighting its benefits and demonstrating how it simplifies translation management in Elixir projects. With Kanta, developers can ensure their applications are ready for a global audience without the usual headaches associated with multilingual content.

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