Uploading Screenshots via an Integration

This article will show users how to automatically upload screenshots to the GL Strings dashboard. To learn how to upload new or edit existing screenshots manually see the Uploading & Editing Screenshots documentation.

Table of Contents

1. Draft Mode
2. Automated UI Tests for Native Mobile Apps
3. Appium
4. API Screenshot Upload
5. GL Strings Design Plugin

On GL Strings, regular screenshots can be turned into Augmented Screenshots to provide even more context for translators and reviewers. Augmented Screenshots are a combination of the screenshot itself with a specific set of metadata that informs GL Strings about which strings are present on a screen as well as the string’s position.

The main ways to upload screenshots via an integration include:

• SDK: via the Draft Mode upload option
• SDK: via automated UI tests
• Appium: via the GL Strings SDK or CLI Integrations
• API: screenshot and metadata upload via API
• Figma/Sketch/AdobeXD: via a GL Strings Design Plugin

Screens uploaded via the GL Strings SDK, Appium, or design plugins automatically capture the string/screen pairing and the string’s position. For screens uploaded via the API, users can send the metadata of the screen association (tag) and string positions along with the upload call.

Draft Mode

Draft Mode must be enabled in the Project Settings page in order to use this option.

1. Open the app in Draft Mode (press with four fingers on the screen for 8-10 secs and login using your GL Strings username and password)
2. Navigate to the screen that needs a screenshot upload
3. Swipe down with two fingers on the screen, then select Capture Screen.
4. Select Select existing screen tag to use an existing tag from GL Strings OR type a new one in the textbox below.
5. Press Capture.
6. Repeat for every screen/Tag which requires a screenshot upload

See the Draft Mode and On-Device Testing page for more details about the GL Strings Draft Mode.

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Automated UI Tests for Native Mobile Apps

If an app already has native automated UI tests, users can simply add one line of code to the test scripts at the point where screenshots uploads are needed.

Follow the instructions outlined in the integration documentation to implement this option:

• iOS
• Android
• Unity
• Flutter

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Appium

The Appium screenshot capture and upload is only available for SDK or CLI-integrated apps. By integrating Appium and GL Strings, the process can be streamlined. Users can re-leverage their existing Appium test scripts to upload screenshots to the connected GL Strings project.

See the Appium example projects on GitHub to learn more or see the GL Strings-Appium repo to get started.

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API Screenshot Upload

This option is only available for GL Strings API integrated apps. See the GL Strings API documentation for additional details. The API screenshot upload process allows GL Strings users to send the string position as metadata along with the screenshot upload API route.

1. Users must first send a GET request to the GL Strings API. This will identify the App, authenticate the token, and return all the screenshots of the App.
2. Then send a POST request with a FormData containing two keys: data and file. The screenshot will be uploaded to the app and a JSON object describing the changes will be returned.

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GL Strings Design Plugin

This option is only available to users with an Adobe XD, Figma, or Sketch integrated project using the GL Strings plugin. See the Localization at the Design Stage article and the Adobe XD, Figma, or Sketch Documentation for more information.

The GL Strings design plugin will import the strings as well as the strings’ position for each screen. GL Strings design tool plugin users can easily upload base language screens, translate within the GL Strings dashboard, then download translated strings to generate translated screenshots.

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