Tutorials
Language-dependent graphics
With multilingual projects, it can happen that graphics in questions vary depending on the language. This can quickly become confusing when translating. How can this be solved simply and clearly?
Tested with version EFS Winter 2018 = 18.4 / EFS_18.4_0149
- The direct way would be: Questionnaire Editor >> Language Editor >> Text Elements to translate the text and change the graphics in their HTML code. To do this, you need to know the exact name of the graphic. Hopefully the naming of the graphics is not too chaotic, a list would be helpful, especially for external translators (see 2).
- it would be more straightforward if you use this function: Questionnaire Editor >> Language Editor >> Export / Import and export all texts into an Excel document, translate it (or have it translated) and import it again. You then treat graphics in the same way as for 1.
- a simplification would be, if the file names of the graphics in the media library would contain uniform names plus a language-dependent abbreviation, e.g. not like this: product_lowfat.jpg (Englisch) produkt_keinfett.jpg (Deutsch) produit_nogras.jpg (Französisch) but like this: product_lowfat_1.jpg (where the “1” would correspond to the language ID for German, for example.) product_lowfat_2.jpg for the english version of the graphic product_lowfat_3.jpg for the french version of the graphic etc. Then, wherever the image is integrated, you would only change the number into the correct language when translating the HTML code.
- This procedure is even shorter: first as in point 3, but when creating the questionnaire in the source code for the first time in the questionnaire editor, replace the number with the placeholder #language# (language ID of the survey) or #u_language# if the language is determined from the participant administration. e.g. product_lowfat_#language#.jpg Then you don’t need to adjust the graphics at all when translating. The placeholder is automatically replaced by the language ID and the correct graphic is loaded. This procedure does not work if there is no language selection variable, i.e. if the participant can select his language exclusively via the language selection of the “Internal organization” (Survey menu >> Project properties >> Internal organization: Language selection in the survey: display for all participants).