Adding a New Language

This article walks through enabling a new language on your platform — from initial registration through to translating the strings and going live.

Step-by-Step

1. Open Architect Panel → Languages → Add Language.
2. Enter the IETF language tag (e.g. fr, fr-CA, zh-Hans).
3. Enter a display name in the language itself (e.g. “Français”, not “French”).
4. Choose direction — LTR for most, RTL for Arabic and Hebrew.
5. Set locale conventions:
   • Decimal separator (. or ,).
   • Thousand separator (, or . or space).
   • Date format (DD/MM/YYYY, MM/DD/YYYY, ISO).
   • First day of week (Monday vs Sunday).
6. Set default for any country tenants (e.g. fr-CA is default for Canadian tenants).
7. Import existing translations if you have them (PO/MO file, XLIFF, JSON).
8. Save.
9. Translate any remaining strings via the translation interface.

Translation Workflow

• The platform identifies untranslated strings and queues them for translation.
• Translators (admins, professional services, ML translation) fill in the missing strings.
• Each translation can be reviewed before going live.
• Fallback to source language for untranslated strings.

Worked Examples

• Adding Spanish to an English SaaS: ES added; existing PO file imported; remaining 200 strings translated by professional service.
• Right-to-left: Adding Arabic — all UI flipped; ensure custom CSS doesn't assume LTR.
• Regional variant: Adding fr-CA alongside existing fr — most strings inherited from fr; only Canadian-specific phrasing translated.
• Chinese simplified: Adding zh-Hans; fonts adjusted to ensure proper rendering of CJK glyphs.