Introduction
Let's discover Branchlate in less than 5 minutes.
What is Branchlate?
Branchlate streamlines software translation management for developers, translators, and business teams, enabling seamless synchronization across multiple environments. Following the principle of Translation as Code, Branchlate integrates translation management into your Git workflow, treating your source code as the source of truth for translation keys.
Branchlate combines real-time collaboration, AI-powered suggestions, and multi-environment support, allowing all users to manage and synchronize translations efficiently without disrupting development processes.
Before we dive into the technical details, let’s take a quick look at the main components and core features that power Branchlate.
Core features and architecture
The core of Branchlate revolves around its ability to connect translation workflows with your existing Git flow, making translation seamless across environments. Whether you're a developer managing multiple branches, a translator refining language, or a business user overseeing localization, Branchlate provides a robust set of tools to make the process effortless.
The diagram below highlights the key components that enable Branchlate’s powerful features.
Let's explore each of these core features and see how they work together to deliver a seamless experience for all teams.
Multi-Environment Management
Branchlate uses Git branches to manage different environments—such as development, staging, and production—allowing teams to maintain separate translations for each. Running the branchlate sync command aligns the translation keys across these branches, ensuring consistency throughout your workflow.
Translation as Code
With Branchlate, the source code is the authoritative source for all translation keys. This means any changes made by developers are synced with the Branchlate UI, allowing translators and business users to always work with the latest version. Once approved, the translations in the UI become the truth, with modifications flowing back into the development branch seamlessly.
AI-Powered Translations
Branchlate includes AI-powered suggestions to assist translators by providing automatic translation drafts. These suggestions save time, allowing teams to focus on refining rather than starting from scratch. The AI engine continually improves, learning from previously approved translations.
Real-Time Editing with Chrome Extension
The Chrome extension empowers translators and business teams by allowing them to preview and modify translations directly in the development environment. Users can see live updates without requiring a developer to deploy changes, making translation testing fast and interactive.
Branchlate CLI
The Branchlate CLI integrates with your Git workflow, enabling developers to easily sync translation keys across branches. The CLI makes it simple to manage translations with commands like branchlate sync and branchlate init, ensuring that your code and translations remain aligned throughout the development process.
Branchlate UI
The Branchlate UI offers an intuitive web interface where translators and business teams can review, edit, and approve translations. The UI provides real-time feedback, displaying all translation keys across environments, and helps users collaborate efficiently.
What's next?
Now that you have a solid understanding of Branchlate’s core features and components, it’s time to get started. In the next chapter, we'll walk you through setting up your first project, integrating Branchlate with your Git workflow, and syncing your translation keys. Whether you’re a developer, translator, or business user, this guide will help you hit the ground running with Branchlate.