Automatically reject previous pending translation from same user

[tobifjellner]

This problem is described in ​https://github.com/GlotPress/GlotPress-WP/issues/889 and in a perfect world, this should probably be fixed in GlotPress.

But I just learnt that this probably can be solved relatively easy by adding a filter via an add-on to GlotPress in our own systems. So I suggest that this should be developed for translate.wordpress.org and then it can be submitted upstream for possible later inclusion.

Currently, if a user has suggested a translation and then notices a typo or other error (possibly even getting a warning from GlotPress about missing variables, etc.) and then submits another suggestion, these both suggestions will both become pending in the project. (Technically, the user can go back and manually reject their own pending translation, but in reality that simply doesn't happen.)

When a translation editor afterwards checks the pending translations, there's a risk that the wrong string will be approved after the correct one, leaving the wrong translation as the active translation. Also, if I as a translation editor scan a full page of translations, my view will by itself get stuck on various error, and only later I'll realize that the user already submitted a different translation for the same string.

The solution: When a not-editor submits a translation into pending, if there are any previous pending translation(s) of the same string from the same user, then those previous strings should automatically be rejected.

[dd32]

Just noting that r10575 was slightly half-related:

Translate: Prevent suggesting a string which has already been rejected for that original for that user.

This prevents a translator suggesting the same sting for an original after having their translation rejected once.

See https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02RP50LK/p1610520419455100

Specifically for this ticket however, what should be the status of the suggested-but-replaced strings from the translator? should they be rejected by the translator? or is there another status I'm not aware of?

[tobifjellner]

I'd put it as "rejected" by same user...
When they file a new suggestion, that's their intention, after all!

If it wouldn't be too big a resource hog, we might even consider a one-shot hunting for double suggestions and rejecting in the same way the older suggestions in the database.

[dd32]

Replying to tobifjellner:

I'd put it as "rejected" by same user...
When they file a new suggestion, that's their intention, after all!

Sounds good to me!

If it wouldn't be too big a resource hog, we might even consider a one-shot hunting for double suggestions and rejecting in the same way the older suggestions in the database.

The translations table is quite massive (There's only 75 million translations or so), so I'm a little limited there but I'll see what I can do. That'll also depend upon just how many originals have multiple pending translations though :)

[tobifjellner]

...There's only 75 million translations or so...

The good thing is that it can be broken down into one project at a time. Perhaps cron-running one locale at a time.

[dd32]

Replying to tobifjellner:

...There's only 75 million translations or so...

The good thing is that it can be broken down [...]

There's only ~64k users with more than 1 translation suggestion (and I can look up all of a users translations efficiently), so it looks like it'll possible to go through and automatically mark the translations 🎉

[dd32]

In 10576:

Translate: When a translator re-submits a translation suggestion, automatically reject their previous submitted translations for that original.

This will mean that those who see a Translation warning, fix it, and then re-submit will only have 1 waiting translation rather than 2.

Fixes #5576.

[dd32]

Example of a translation that's auto-rejected. Note that there's no "Rejected By" byline, as it was "self rejected"

[dd32]

In 10587:

Translate: Avoid PHP Notices after r10575 and r10576 when the translation is being added without a translator detail.

See #5576.

[Nao]

@dd32 A contributor reported a related issue in the Japanese Slack, so I submitted:
​https://github.com/GlotPress/GlotPress/issues/1462
Thanks to Dominik I arrived here.

I'm not sure if there is a solution here to solve both situations.
Maybe if it's a manual self-reject translation, allow status change back to Waiting?
But I'm not sure if it complicates things too much.