Getting started (end to end)

Operator quick reference and end-to-end walkthrough from an empty translations repository to a fully operational Boost documentation translation pipeline. For per-workflow field detail see README.md; for design and return codes see ARCHITECTURE.md; for HTTP and dispatch shapes see endpoint-contract.md. If you pin automation to a semver tag, check CHANGELOG.md before upgrading.

Branch names and the Weblate path are defined in .github/workflows/assets/env.sh: MASTER_BRANCH, LOCAL_BRANCH_PREFIX, TRANSLATION_BRANCH_PREFIX, WEBLATE_ENDPOINT_PATH. Examples below use current defaults (master, local-, translation-, boost-endpoint/add-or-update/).

flowchart TD
  config["0 Configure secrets and vars"]
  local["1 Optional local .env + GH_TOKEN"]
  add["2 add-submodules"]
  verifyAdd["Verify mirrors and super-repo"]
  start["3 start-translation"]
  verifyStart["Verify Weblate handoff"]
  sync["4 sync-translation ongoing"]
  tag["5 create-tag on merged PRs"]
  config --> local --> add --> verifyAdd --> start --> verifyStart --> sync
  verifyStart -.->|"translator merges PR"| tag
  sync -->|"daily cron or manual dispatch"| sync

Operator checklist

Step	When	Workflow	Trigger	Script / client
0	Always first	—	—	GitHub secrets/vars: `SYNC_TOKEN`, `WEBLATE_URL`, `WEBLATE_TOKEN`, `SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL`, `LANG_CODES`, optional `SUBMODULES_ORG`
1	Optional	—	—	`cp .env.example .env` → `GH_TOKEN`
2	Greenfield / new libs	`add-submodules.yml`	`event_type: add-submodules`	`scripts/trigger-add-submodules.sh`
3	After mirrors exist	`start-translation.yml`	`event_type: start-translation`	`scripts/trigger-start-translation.sh`
4	Ongoing	`sync-translation.yml`	`event_type: sync-translation` or daily cron	curl example (no script)
5	Automatic	mirror `create-tag.yml`	PR merge in mirror	none

Dispatch order: on a fresh repo, run step 2 before step 3. Detail in §3 and .github/workflows/assets/translation.sh.
Exit codes: per-submodule 0 / 1 / 2 collapse rules — ARCHITECTURE §6 — Shell return codes only.

0. Prerequisites — GitHub secrets and variables

Configure these on the translations repository before dispatching any workflow: Settings → Secrets and variables → Actions.

Kind	Name	Where documented
Secret	`SYNC_TOKEN`	README § Required secrets
Secret	`WEBLATE_URL`	README § Required secrets
Secret	`WEBLATE_TOKEN`	README § Required secrets
Secret	`SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL`	README § Required secrets — Slack incoming webhook for `sync-translation` failure and `heartbeat` stale-sync alerts
Variable	`LANG_CODES`	README § Repository variables
Variable	`SUBMODULES_ORG`	README § Repository variables

SYNC_TOKEN, WEBLATE_URL, WEBLATE_TOKEN, and SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL are required secrets; LANG_CODES and optional SUBMODULES_ORG are repository variables. See the linked README sections for scope and format. sync-translation requires SYNC_TOKEN for discover and sync-local; its notify-failure job requires SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL.

1. Local trigger setup (optional)

To fire dispatches from a clone of this repo instead of the GitHub API or UI:

cp .env.example .env   # set GH_TOKEN (GITHUB_TOKEN is also accepted)

GH_TOKEN is client-side only — permission to call POST /repos/{owner}/{repo}/dispatches. Workflows still use the GitHub secrets from step 0 on the server.
Requires curl and jq or Python 3.

See README § Scripts for script details.

2. `add-submodules` — create mirrors and register submodules

When: greenfield setup or adding new library mirrors.

Item	Value
Workflow	`.github/workflows/add-submodules.yml`
Script	`scripts/trigger-add-submodules.sh`
Trigger	`repository_dispatch` with `event_type: add-submodules`

Trigger (JSON)

POST to https://api.github.com/repos/{owner}/{repo}/dispatches:

{
  "event_type": "add-submodules",
  "client_payload": { "version": "boost-1.90.0" }
}

Optional client_payload fields: submodules, lang_codes. See README § add-submodules.

Script

scripts/trigger-add-submodules.sh \
  --repo OWNER/boost-docs-translation \
  --version boost-1.90.0 \
  --submodules 'unordered, json' \
  --lang-codes zh_Hans

Omit --lang-codes to use repository variable LANG_CODES.
Omit --submodules to use the script default DEFAULT_SUBMODULES (unordered, json; see trigger-add-submodules.sh) — not auto-discovery from boostorg/boost. The script substitutes that default before building the payload (SUBMODULES assignment), so client_payload.submodules is never omitted. Full discovery runs only when the workflow receives a dispatch without a submodules field (raw API / GitHub UI).

Expected outcome

For each library in the resolved list:

A new mirror repo under MODULE_ORG (from SUBMODULES_ORG or this repo's owner) containing doc-only content on MASTER_BRANCH (master).
${LOCAL_BRANCH_PREFIX}{lang_code} branches (e.g. local-zh_Hans) on each mirror, with create-tag.yml copied from .github/workflows/assets/.
Submodule entries in this super-repo under libs/<name> on MASTER_BRANCH and each ${LOCAL_BRANCH_PREFIX}{lang_code} branch.

Existing mirrors are skipped (idempotent).

Verify

Mirror repos — on GitHub, confirm {MODULE_ORG}/{lib} exists with branches MASTER_BRANCH and ${LOCAL_BRANCH_PREFIX}{lang} (e.g. master, local-zh_Hans); confirm .github/workflows/create-tag.yml is present on the mirror.
Super-repo — on MASTER_BRANCH, confirm .gitmodules lists each libs/<lib> URL pointing at {MODULE_ORG}/{lib}; run git submodule status on master and each local-{lang} branch — SHAs should be non-empty.
Actions — the workflow job exits 0; the trigger script prints HTTP 204 on success. For partial submodule failures and skip semantics, see ARCHITECTURE §6 — Shell return codes.

3. `start-translation` — sync mirrors and notify Weblate

When: after mirrors exist under MODULE_ORG and .gitmodules is populated on MASTER_BRANCH.

Item	Value
Workflow	`.github/workflows/start-translation.yml`
Script	`scripts/trigger-start-translation.sh`
Trigger	`repository_dispatch` with `event_type: start-translation`

Dispatch order: do not skip step 2 on a fresh repo. start-translation reads this repo's .gitmodules and does not create org mirrors; a missing mirror is a fatal error (Run add-submodules first. — see start-translation.yml header and translation.sh).

Trigger (JSON)

{
  "event_type": "start-translation",
  "client_payload": { "version": "boost-1.90.0" }
}

Optional client_payload fields: lang_codes, extensions. See README § start-translation.

Script

scripts/trigger-start-translation.sh \
  --repo OWNER/boost-docs-translation \
  --version boost-1.90.0 \
  --lang-codes zh_Hans \
  --extensions '.adoc, .qbk'

Requires secrets WEBLATE_URL and WEBLATE_TOKEN. Omit --lang-codes to use repository variable LANG_CODES.

Expected outcome

For each language and each submodule listed in this repo's .gitmodules:

Mirror MASTER_BRANCH refreshed from upstream boostorg (doc-only prune).
Mirror ${LOCAL_BRANCH_PREFIX}{lang} created or merged from MASTER_BRANCH when there is no open PR whose head starts with ${TRANSLATION_BRANCH_PREFIX}{lang}- (in-flight Weblate work is preserved).
Super-repo submodule pointers updated on MASTER_BRANCH and each ${LOCAL_BRANCH_PREFIX}{lang} branch.
POST to {WEBLATE_URL}/${WEBLATE_ENDPOINT_PATH} with add_or_update mapping language codes to updated submodule names. Omitted when nothing changed. See endpoint-contract § Outbound Weblate.

Weblate typically responds with HTTP 202 (async accepted); 200 is also accepted.

Verify

Actions — in the start-local job logs, confirm the Weblate POST returned 202 or 200 and the response body is printed.
Weblate — confirm projects/components exist for the organization, each lang_code, and submodule names sent in the add_or_update payload (field semantics in endpoint-contract.md).
Super-repo — on each ${LOCAL_BRANCH_PREFIX}{lang} branch, submodule SHAs should match the corresponding mirror ${LOCAL_BRANCH_PREFIX}{lang} branch tips.

4. `sync-translation` — ongoing pointer roll-up

When: after ${LOCAL_BRANCH_PREFIX}* branches exist in the super-repo. Runs automatically daily at 00:00 UTC (0 0 * * *) or on manual dispatch.

Item	Value
Workflow	`.github/workflows/sync-translation.yml`
Script	None — use the dispatches API, GitHub UI, or the curl example below
Trigger	`repository_dispatch` with `event_type: sync-translation` (no `client_payload`)

Trigger (JSON)

{ "event_type": "sync-translation" }

See README § sync-translation and endpoint-contract § sync-translation.

Script (curl)

curl -sS -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}\n' \
  -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $GH_TOKEN" \
  -H "Accept: application/vnd.github+json" \
  -H "X-GitHub-Api-Version: 2022-11-28" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"event_type":"sync-translation"}' \
  "https://api.github.com/repos/OWNER/REPO/dispatches"

Expect HTTP 204 on success.

Expected outcome

For each remote ${LOCAL_BRANCH_PREFIX}* branch in the super-repo: checkout with submodules, set each submodule's tracking branch to that name, run git submodule update --remote, commit if pointers changed, and force-push.

Requires secrets SYNC_TOKEN (discover, sync-local) and SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL (notify-failure). Relies on .gitmodules URLs established by steps 2–3.

Verify

After translator merges land in mirror repos, either wait for the daily cron or trigger manually. Confirm super-repo ${LOCAL_BRANCH_PREFIX}{lang} branch submodule SHAs advance to match each mirror's ${LOCAL_BRANCH_PREFIX}{lang} tip.

5. `create-tag` — tags on merged Weblate PRs (automatic)

This step is not a dispatch you run during bootstrap. It completes the operational picture once translators begin work in Weblate.

When: a Weblate PR merges in a mirror repo — head branch ${TRANSLATION_BRANCH_PREFIX}{lang}-{version} (e.g. translation-zh_Hans-boost-1.90.0) into base ${LOCAL_BRANCH_PREFIX}{lang} (e.g. local-zh_Hans).

What: the mirror workflow create-tag.yml (installed during step 2) runs on the PR closed event and creates tag {version}-{repo}-{lang_code} (e.g. boost-1.90.0-algorithm-zh_Hans) if it does not already exist.

Verify

Mirror repo — after a Weblate PR merges into ${LOCAL_BRANCH_PREFIX}{lang}, confirm the tag appears under Tags (or git tag -l on the mirror).
Actions — confirm the create-tag workflow job ran on the PR closed event and exited 0.

Tag format and namespace distinction from orchestration semver: .github/workflows/assets/README.md.

6. Interpreting results

Workflow jobs collapse per-submodule return codes 0 / 1 / 2 into step exit 0 or non-zero; code 2 is never propagated to the GitHub Actions step exit code. The local trigger scripts use a simpler 0 / 1 contract (success vs any error).

Full detail: ARCHITECTURE.md §6 — Shell return codes.

Quick decision guide

Situation	Run
New repo or new library mirrors	`add-submodules` → `start-translation`
New Boost release on existing mirrors	`start-translation`
Advance super-repo pointers after translator merges	`sync-translation` (or wait for daily cron)

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Getting started (end to end)

Operator checklist

0. Prerequisites — GitHub secrets and variables

1. Local trigger setup (optional)

2. `add-submodules` — create mirrors and register submodules

Trigger (JSON)

Script

Expected outcome

Verify

3. `start-translation` — sync mirrors and notify Weblate

Trigger (JSON)

Script

Expected outcome

Verify

4. `sync-translation` — ongoing pointer roll-up

Trigger (JSON)

Script (curl)

Expected outcome

Verify

5. `create-tag` — tags on merged Weblate PRs (automatic)

Verify

6. Interpreting results

Quick decision guide

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Getting started (end to end)

Operator checklist

0. Prerequisites — GitHub secrets and variables

1. Local trigger setup (optional)

2. add-submodules — create mirrors and register submodules

Trigger (JSON)

Script

Expected outcome

Verify

3. start-translation — sync mirrors and notify Weblate

Trigger (JSON)

Script

Expected outcome

Verify

4. sync-translation — ongoing pointer roll-up

Trigger (JSON)

Script (curl)

Expected outcome

Verify

5. create-tag — tags on merged Weblate PRs (automatic)

Verify

6. Interpreting results

Quick decision guide

2. `add-submodules` — create mirrors and register submodules

3. `start-translation` — sync mirrors and notify Weblate

4. `sync-translation` — ongoing pointer roll-up

5. `create-tag` — tags on merged Weblate PRs (automatic)