
Hey there! Recently, [a lot of new features and updates](/changelog) were added to SimpleLocalize, and I wanted to share some of them with you.
See the below updates that should help you in your daily translation and management work with SimpleLocalize. ☺️

## 📌  Rearrange language order
Now, you can rearrange language order which will affect order in the translations view, and in the exported files. You can save languages order for the whole project, which will be used as default order for every
project contributor. Every user can rearrange the languages order on their own. Translators cannot change project order, but they can adjust the view for themselves.

To change language order, simply drag-and-drop the languages on the list. When the order is done, save the changes for the project or just for your own use.

![SimpleLocalize: rearrange languages](/blog/simplelocalize-rearrange-languages.mp4)

## 🚩 Change language flags

Now you can change flag for languages regardless of the language key. Adjust the flag manually for your project needs, so they correspond to the selected language.
Flags setup is a great way to organize your project, as you can recognize the language and location with just a glance.

![SimpleLocalize: change flags for languages](/blog/simplelocalize-change-flags-for-languages.mp4)

## 🧷 Improved translation export menu

With the new update, you can easily export only selected languages to Excel formats. Use this option to export translation files for your translators, so they can see the file with just the source and target languages.
See the translation level with one click and decide which languages need to be exported for translators.

![SimpleLocalize: export translations menu](/blog/simplelocalize-export-translations-menu.gif)

## What's next?

In the upcoming days, I would like to focus on:
- adding subscription administrators
- improving the table translation view
- command-line interface app for software developers
- option to review translations
- and more

Keep an eye on [changelog](/changelog), [my Twitter](https://twitter.com/jakub_pomykala) or [SimpleLocalize Twitter](https://twitter.com/simplelocalize).
Thank you all for your e-mails and feedback which you provide me with. Have a wonderful day! ☺️


Product Update: Better Language Management


Excel is a very popular tool for translation management, especially in smaller projects. It can be used to maintain an overview of translation keys, translators, languages, and deliverables at the same time.

The benefits of Excel are that it is flexible, collaborative, scalable, and easy to use. It can meet the needs of small-scale translation projects as well as projects with many active translators and large-scale translations. 


## How to use Excel as a translation management tool

Excel is a great tool to start translation management in a new project. With a simple Excel file, you can check current translation version, progress of translating new keys or languages, and share the file easily with your team members.

### How to create a spreadsheet for project translations

**How to get started?** Simply create a new file in Excel or Google Sheets and start by naming your columns. The best way is to extract or copy translation keys from your project, and put them in the first column. 

Next, add language columns and their translations in corresponding cells. Have a look at the sample translation for our PlaceFlare app. Quite easy, right?

![sample excel translation file](/blog/excel-google-sheets-translation-file.png)
This is a basic and simple translation template which will work perfectly for your project. 

Here are some useful tips for translating in Excel: 
- **Freeze key column** to easily scroll between languages if there are many. 
- Add an extra column where you put a **screenshot or image of the translated area** — sometimes you may not remember where the key came from. With the screenshot, you can easily associate the key and its location. 
- Use international codes for naming language columns (e.g., en, es) together with its [locale](https://simplelocalize.io/blog/posts/language-vs-locale/) like en-GB, es-ES, es-CL. It will be easier to start with **internationalization** sooner than deal with it later.
- Make one language your main one and fully translate it first. It will be a base for translating other languages. 

### How to work with Excel translation files?

An Excel file is a great tool for translations, but it still needs to be uploaded to your app or website. The file allows you to control easily updated texts, add languages and modify translations, but it doesn't connect directly with the source code. 

![sample excel translation file](/blog/excel-to-json-and-json-to-excel-conversion.jpg)

Usually, you need to **convert the Excel file to JSON**. Remember that when translation changes, there is a new feature or update, you have to edit the file and give the updated version to your dev team to replace the existing translations in the code.

## Auto-translation in Excel

Today, we can use a variety of online resources to automatically translate texts with a very high level of precision. The most popular tools online are **DeepL** and **Google Translate**. You can use them as a great help with translating texts, or use built-in translation features or plugins. Here are some examples of auto-translation option for Excel files:

**Google Sheets translation formula**

You can easily translate text in Google Sheets with integrated formula from Google Translate. Just type in a selected cell this formula: **=GOOGLETRANSLATE(cell to translate, “source language”, “target language”)**, for example:

![Google Sheets google translate](/blog/google-sheets-translate.png)

Then spread the formula for the entire column and work the same way for other languages.

**Microsoft Excel Translate**

Microsoft Excel has a special function for automatic translations, called **Translate**. You will find it under Review tab. Check how to use this option in the official [Excel translation guide](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/translator/business/excel/).


## Auto-translation with DeepL or Google Translate with SimpleLocalize

Instead of the manual work with Excel options, you can use a translation management tool which has dedicated options for seamless automatic translations. 

![Auto translation with SimpleLocalize](/blog/auto-translate.jpg)

**How does it work?**
Login to SimpleLocalize with **free Community plan** and create your project. Then, with one click, **upload your existing Excel file** and hit **Start auto translation** button.

SimpleLocalize will **auto-translate with Google Translate or DeepL** for selected languages. In a few seconds, you can have your project fully translated and ready to go!

![Auto translation with SimpleLocalize](/blog/auto-translation-job.png)

When your translations are ready, you can export them to many supported formats, also Excel, or [upload translations automatically with CLI](https://simplelocalize.io/docs/cli/upload-translations/).

## Pros and Cons of using spreadsheets for translation Management

Using spreadsheets as translation management tool is a popular choice for many projects, but it has its pros and cons, especially compared with a dedicated translation app:  

### Pros:
- simple to import and export data
- helps to track changes in translation file
- easy to use and well known for everyone
- allows sharing files with the team
- no or very low cost

### Cons:
- a lot of manual work with copy-pasting texts and formulas
- not so user-friendly and simple enough for translations (not designed to be a translation management tool)
- requires frequent file changes and manual uploads of new translations
- difficult to keep track on new translations and removing not used translation keys as its very time-consuming task

![SimpleLocalize translation editor](/blog/translation-editor-interface.png)

## Easy Excel file translation with SimpleLocalize

SimpleLocalize is a simple, intuitive way to manage internationalization in Excel. It's data-driven, easy to use, and saves time on tedious processes that are otherwise difficult to automate. 

Import your current Excel files to SimpleLocalize and start translating your projects efficiently with auto translation features. [Start now with our free Community plan](https://simplelocalize.io/pricing/) and check how SimpleLocalize can help you in your work!


Translation Hosting

SimpleLocalize CLI

REST API

Auto-translation

Alternative translations

Excel

Product Update: Better Language Management

The complete guide to managing translation projects with Excel