Firefox Translations: A Comprehensive Overview
Introduction
Firefox Translations was a groundbreaking WebExtension designed to enable seamless in-page translation directly within web browsers. This tool emerged from a collaborative effort known as The Bergamot Project Consortium, which included contributions from the University of Edinburgh, Charles University in Prague, the University of Sheffield, the University of Tartu, and Mozilla. Fueled by funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, under grant agreement No 825303, the extension represented a significant leap forward in enhancing accessibility to web content across languages.
Development and Transition
Originally, Firefox Translations existed as a standalone WebExtension. However, its development subsequently transitioned into being integrated directly within Firefox itself. As a result, future support and updates are now managed within Firefox from version 108 onwards. Users and developers interested in reporting issues are encouraged to use Mozilla’s bug tracking system, Bugzilla.
Availability
Desktop Version
The last stable release version of Firefox Translations for desktop browsers remains available on Mozilla Add-ons. This allows users to continue benefiting from in-page translation capabilities with ease.
Android Version
For Android users, the Firefox Translations extension can be installed on Firefox Nightly or Beta. Specific instructions are available to guide users through enabling general extension support, installing Firefox Translations, and removing custom collections to restore default settings.
Supported Languages
Firefox Translations supports a wide array of languages. The tool's production-ready languages include Spanish, Estonian, English, German, Czech, Bulgarian, Portuguese, Italian, French, and Polish. Additionally, in the developmental phase, it also caters to Russian, Persian (Farsi), Icelandic, Norwegian (both Nynorsk and Bokmål), Ukrainian, and Dutch.
Testing and Nightly Builds
Users interested in exploring the latest features can access the nightly builds of the extension. These are available on Firefox Nightly or Developer Edition and can be installed after adjusting specific browser configurations. This allows users to test new features and languages as they are developed.
Development Architecture
Firefox Translations is built without any npm modules, utilizing only a few key third-party dependencies. These include the Bergamot Translator, a web assembly wrapper for the Marian Neural Machine Translator; FastText for language detection; Sentry for error reporting; and serialize-error for precise error serialization.
Development and Telemetry
For those interested in contributing to the ongoing development, detailed instructions are provided for setting up a development environment, updating the telemetry schema, and maintaining the bergamot-translator WASM module.
Community and Discussions
Engagement within the Firefox community is encouraged through platforms such as Matrix, where users and developers can join discussions about Firefox translations, facilitating collaborative improvements and feedback.
Conclusion
Firefox Translations represents a significant step in making the web inclusive and accessible to global audiences by breaking down language barriers. This project not only showcases the potential of collaborative innovation but also provides users with a powerful tool for enhancing their browsing experience across multiple languages.