MadCap Flare translation with Crowdin

Translate MadCap Flare project files in Crowdin using this app.

MadCap Flare projects contain many XML-based files in addition to regular HTML topics. Crowdin can already handle .htm and .html topics with its native HTML support, so this app focuses on Flare-specific project files that need custom extraction rules.

Supported Files

The app supports translatable content in MadCap Flare files such as:

• .fltoc table of contents files

• .fltar target/build configuration files

• .flvar variable sets

• .flglo glossaries

• .props image overlay files from MadCap Capture/Flare image properties

• .flsnp snippets

• .flpgl page layouts

• .flmsp template pages

• .fllng language skins

• .flskn skins

• .flmco micro content

• .flaix, .flbrs, .flrtb, .flsfs, .fltbx project UI and navigation resources

• selected metadata in configuration files such as .flcts, .flfts, .fldes, .flexp, .flimp*, and .flprj

Regular .htm and .html Flare topics are intentionally left to Crowdin’s native HTML parser.

How It Works

Step 1: Upload Flare project files

Upload your MadCap Flare source files to Crowdin. The app detects supported Flare-specific extensions and applies extraction rules for each file type.

Step 2: Extract translatable content

The app extracts only user-facing text and avoids technical project data.

Examples of extracted content include:

• TOC titles from .fltoc

• PDF target titles, output names, comments, and selected variables from .fltar

• variable values from .flvar

• glossary terms and definitions from .flglo

• text overlays from .props image property files

• snippet and template text from .flsnp, .flpgl, and .flmsp

• UI labels from skins, language skins, search filters, browse sequences, and micro content files

The app preserves links, paths, conditions, page layout settings, build settings, namespace prefixes, embedded base64 image data, and other non-translatable XML.

Step 3: Translate in Crowdin

Translators work with extracted strings in Crowdin. The editor preview shows the original XML source with syntax highlighting and maps extracted strings back to their exact location in the file.

Step 4: Export translated files

When translations are downloaded, the app writes translated text back into the original XML structure. It patches only the extracted text or attribute values, which helps keep Flare files valid and avoids unnecessary formatting changes.

For .fltar target files, the app can also update TargetLanguage during export when Crowdin provides the target language.

Localization Model

MadCap Flare source files are usually single-language files. A translated Flare project is normally a separate copy of the same project structure in another language. Flare can then build single-language output or combine several translated Flare/Lingo projects into multilingual output at build time.

This app follows that model: each Crowdin export produces a translated copy of the source file for the requested target language.

File Format Details

Sample File

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<CatapultToc Version="1">
  <TocEntry
    Title="Deckblatt"
    Link="/Content/Resources/Manual/Deckblatt.htm"
    conditions="Default.PrintOnly"
    BreakType="pageLayout" />
  <TocEntry
    Title="FIX - Vorrichtungsverwaltung"
    Link="/Content/fixOverview.htm"
    BreakType="chapter">
    <TocEntry
      Title="Reiter 'Stammdaten'"
      Link="/Content/fixFixturePgFixtureData.htm" />
    <TocEntry
      Title="[%=System.LinkedTitle%]"
      Link="/Content/fixFixturePgSupplier.htm" />
  </TocEntry>
</CatapultToc>