Cherry-picking Translation Updates

Sometimes you don't want to translate everything. Maybe you've tweaked your AI context for a specific section, or you're focusing on a particular language.

Lingo.dev's CLI gives you the tools to be surgical about your updates.

Why Cherry-pick?

Updating all translations isn't always the best move. Here's why:

1. Performance: Updating everything takes time. If you're in a hurry, focus on what matters;
2. Precision: Sometimes you want to fine-tune specific areas without touching others;
3. Testing: When experimenting with AI context changes, you might want to see the effect on a limited scope first.

The Tools

Lingo.dev gives you three main flags for cherry-picking:

• --force: Ignore the lockfile and retranslate everything in scope;
• --bucket: Focus on a specific bucket;
• --locale: Target a specific language.
• --key: Target a specific key.
• --file: Target one or more specific files from your buckets.

Let's dive into how these work.

--force: The Sledgehammer

When you use --force, you're telling Lingo.dev, "I don't care what's in the lockfile, translate everything again." It's powerful, but use it wisely.

npx lingo.dev@latest i18n --force

This command will retranslate every string in every bucket for every target language. It's useful when:

1. You've significantly changed your AI context settings;
2. You suspect the lockfile might be corrupted;
3. You want a fresh start.

But remember, with great power comes great responsibility (and potentially long processing times). Also be mindful of your API usage.

--bucket: The Scalpel

The --bucket flag lets you focus on a specific section of your translations. It's like telling Lingo.dev, "Just worry about this part."

npx lingo.dev@latest i18n --bucket json

This is handy when:

1. You've updated content in a specific area of your app;
2. You're testing changes to AI context for a particular section;
3. Different parts of your app have different update frequencies.

--locale: The Language Filter

With --locale, you're saying, "I only care about this language right now."

npx lingo.dev@latest i18n --locale fr

This is useful when:

1. You're launching in a new market and need to focus on that language;
2. You're reviewing translations for a specific language;
3. Different languages have different update priorities.

--key: The Pinpoint Tool

The --key flag allows you to target a single translation key. It's the most precise tool in your cherry-picking arsenal.

npx lingo.dev@latest i18n --key welcome.title

This is perfect when:

1. You've tweaked the source text for just one string;
2. You want to experiment with AI context settings on a single translation;
3. You need to fix an old translation quickly.

You can also use dot notation to target nested keys:

npx lingo.dev@latest i18n --key header.navigation.about

--file: The File Filter

The --file flag lets you target specific files in your translation buckets. It's like telling Lingo.dev, "Just focus on these files, everything else is good as-is."

npx lingo.dev@latest i18n --file blog.[locale].json

This is useful when:

1. You've updated content in specific files;
2. You want to test AI context changes on particular files;
3. Different files have different update priorities.

You can target multiple files using patterns:

npx lingo.dev@latest i18n --file articles/

Or by listing them individually:

npx lingo.dev@latest i18n --file landing.[locale].json --file pricing.[locale].json

Note that this flag only works with files already in your buckets. Think of it as a filter on your existing locale files, not a way to add new files.

Combining Powers

The real magic happens when you combine these flags. For example:

npx lingo.dev@latest i18n --force --bucket json --locale de

This command says, "Retranslate everything in the 'app' bucket, but only for German." It's like a laser-focused translation update.

The Rationale

Why did we build Lingo.dev this way? Because real-world localization is messy. Sometimes you need broad strokes, sometimes you need precision. By giving you these tools, we're letting you adapt to your specific needs.

The --force flag exists because sometimes you need a clean slate. The --bucket flag acknowledges that not all parts of your app are created equal. And --locale recognizes that language priorities can vary.

Pro Tips

1. Use --force sparingly. It's powerful but can be time-consuming.
2. Combine --bucket with your CI/CD pipeline to automatically update translations for changed areas.
3. Use --locale when entering new markets to focus your efforts.
4. Always commit your lockfile after cherry-picking to keep your team in sync.

By mastering these flags, you're not just using Lingo.dev – you're wielding it with precision.