Using Kanban-like application for LibreOffice Guides Team Translation

    From The Document Foundation Wiki

    The Brazilian Portuguese translation team set up a kanban-like process for the translation of LibreOffice guides. We describe in this document the process we implemented.

    The tool

    Following the suggestion by Dione Maddern we implemented the kanban process using the Deck application available in the Nexctloud instance installed in The Document Foundation infrastructure.

    The Nextcloud Deck application

    Lists

    The process uses Lists displayed vertically and the flow goes back and forth horizontally. The lists implemented by the translation team are

    • Pre-production
    • Translation
    • Post production
    • Completion
    NextCloud Deck lists


    Cards

    The Deck application allows the creation of Cards, each card with a series of tasks to be executed by the assigned person.

    Most of the cards consist of actions to execute in a chapter file of the Guide. These actions include:

    • Setup of the file in the release folder
    • Update version and authors, removal of Chapter ToC
    • Translation using OmegaT
    • Creation of translated chapter in ODT format
    • Update localized screenshots and images
    • Re-creation of ToC
    • Revision of translation and formatting, list numbering and other sanity checks
    • Move to published folder.
    The Chapter card

    Some cards are not related directly to chapter but are there to setup the working environment. These includes the master document, folder setup in NextCloud Files application.

    Cards (mostly corresponding to chapters) are moved horizontally on each step of the list. In addition to the tasks in each card, the card allows:

    • Tagging
    • Assignment of team volunteers
    • Set a due date
    • Attachments in Nextcloud files or elsewhere
    • Comments
    • Log of card activities.

    The Process

    The deck owner is one of the team member and possibly the leader, but that is not mandatory.

    The process consist of a team work of several parallel tasks. Translation can be done in parallel on each chapter. The team coordinator negotiates and assigns a card to a team member and set a due date.

    Alternatively, team member can assign to himself a card and start working on it.

    Once the task is completed, the member drags the card to the next step on the right in the list and the team negotiates the next member to follow -up.

    This way turns easier to follow up all activities in a Guide translation job.