Final Project Report: My Experience Contributing to WordPress Polyglots
A look back at the knowledge I gained, the challenges I overcame, and the results I achieved during my WP Credits project.
Introduction
Hello! My name is Mariano Gamboa, and I am a Systems Engineering student. This is my final report for the WP Credits program.
Throughout this project, I contributed to the WordPress Polyglots (es_CR) team by translating WordPress and WooCommerce strings from English into Spanish (Costa Rica). The purpose of this report is to summarize my work, the challenges I faced, the skills I developed, and the lessons I learned during this experience.
Teams and Projects I Contributed To
I contributed to the WordPress Polyglots team, specifically the Spanish (Costa Rica) (es_CR) locale.
My project focused on translating WordPress and WooCommerce interface strings from English into Spanish (Costa Rica). The objective was to provide accurate and consistent translations while following the official Polyglots translation guidelines and terminology.
Learning Resources
- WordPress Polyglots Handbook
- GlotPress Translation Guidelines
- Spanish (Costa Rica) Glossary (es_CR)
- Official WordPress Polyglots documentation
I also received guidance from my mentor, my university professor, who helped me understand the project requirements, review my progress, and improve my contribution process.
Challenges and Solutions
One of the biggest challenges was understanding the context of certain translation strings. Some strings were very short, making it difficult to determine the most appropriate translation.
To solve this, I consulted the official translation guidelines, reviewed the Spanish (Costa Rica) glossary, and carefully analyzed the context before submitting each translation.
Another challenge was learning how to use GlotPress effectively. Understanding placeholders, warnings, and translation conventions required practice, but after working with several strings I became much more confident with the platform.
Managing my university workload while completing the project was also challenging. I organized my schedule to dedicate specific time each week to translating, documenting my work, and writing my project blog.
My Contributions
- Translated multiple WordPress and WooCommerce strings into Spanish (Costa Rica).
- Followed the official WordPress Polyglots translation guidelines.
- Created a glossary of technical WordPress terms.
- Documented my contribution process through my project blog.
- Recorded screenshots as evidence of my work.
Project Evidence
Project Blog:
https://marianogp.blog/
Key Learnings from the WP Credits Program
- I learned the difference between translating and localizing software.
- I learned how to use the official WordPress glossary to maintain consistent terminology.
- I strengthened my technical English skills related to software development.
- I understood the importance of following established standards within an open-source project.
- I gained a better understanding of how the WordPress Polyglots community works.
The WP Credits program also showed me how contributors from different backgrounds collaborate to improve WordPress for users around the world.
New Skills Gained
Technical Skills
- Software localization
- GlotPress workflow
- WordPress Polyglots translation standards
- Technical English
- Documentation and reporting
Soft Skills
- Time management
- Written communication
- Attention to detail
- Research skills
- Problem solving
Personal Reflections and Next Steps
One of the aspects I enjoyed the most was discovering that translating software is much more than replacing words from one language with another. Every translation requires understanding the context and making decisions that allow users to have a clear and natural experience.
As a Systems Engineering student, this project strengthened skills that will be valuable in my professional career, especially in software localization, technical documentation, and working according to established quality standards.
This experience also showed me that contributing to an open-source project does not always involve writing code. Translation is an essential contribution that helps make WordPress accessible to users from different countries and languages.
In the future, I would like to continue exploring opportunities to contribute to open-source projects and further develop my technical and communication skills.
Conclusion
Completing this project marks the end of an enriching learning experience that combined research, translation, and documentation.
In addition to achieving the academic objectives of the WP Credits program, this contribution allowed me to develop new technical and professional skills while gaining a deeper understanding of the collaborative work behind the WordPress community.
I appreciate the opportunity to contribute to WordPress Polyglots and look forward to applying everything I learned in future open-source projects.
Thank you for following my WP Credits journey!
