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Professional Project

I18n Process Tools

Overview

I18n Process Tools streamlined the full localization lifecycle: it collected labels from GitLab and GitHub repositories, tracked their translation state, grouped work into bulk requests, and converted completed translations into reviewable source-control changes.

My Role

  • Designed the core concept for the i18n backend, including repository synchronization, translation-state tracking, and bulk translation workflows.
  • Implemented the GitLab integration for importing localization files and creating merge requests with translated values.
  • Led the migration to GitHub and added GitHub support during the company repository migration.
  • One of two developers who built the React frontend for managing localization workflows.

Architecture & Technology

  • .NET backend with Entity Framework Core data access
  • React frontend for managing projects, labels, and translation requests
  • GitLab API and GitHub/Octokit integrations for repository synchronization and delivery
  • Bulk translation integration with Notino's Localization Service and TargetProcess
  • Optional AI-assisted translation path
  • Kubernetes deployment

Engineering Challenges

  • Synchronizing localization files and label changes across repositories and markets.
  • Tracking whether each label was untranslated, awaiting translation, or completed.
  • Migrating repository automation from GitLab to GitHub without disrupting translation delivery.

Decisions & Trade-offs

  • Model translation as an explicit workflow with Dirty, Pending, and Translated states. This added synchronization complexity but made missing, in-progress, and completed translations visible and prevented duplicate requests.
  • Deliver completed translations through dedicated branches and automated merge or pull requests. This required reliable repository integrations, but kept changes reviewable, auditable, and aligned with standard engineering workflows.
  • Abstract repository operations to support both GitLab and GitHub. Supporting platform-specific APIs increased implementation effort, but allowed the workflow to survive the company-wide repository migration.

Results & Impact

  • Automated the workflow from repository labels to translation requests and reviewable translated changes.
  • Enabled translation delivery through both GitLab merge requests and GitHub pull requests.
  • Provided a scalable, consistent process for localized UI content across multiple markets.