Inventory the variable syntaxes
Different applications use {name}, {{count}}, printf-style %s or positional arguments. Record the exact syntax used by each resource format.
Validate before approval
Check both token presence and occurrence counts. A translated phrase should keep the source identifiers intact unless your application explicitly supports reordering.
Make errors actionable
Show the missing identifier and the unexpected replacement. For {CURRENCY_NAME}, an error should explain that {CURRENCY_NAM} is not present in the source rather than merely saying translation failed.
Test real runtime formatting
Static QA prevents many mistakes, but it cannot replace rendering the translated string in the application. Verify plurals, number formatting and text direction in their real contexts.
Common questions
Is placeholder QA a complete semantic translation review?
No. It checks structural problems, not whether the translated sentence is natural.
Are ICU select/plural constructs fully supported?
No. Use format-specific checks for advanced ICU constructs.
Before relying on this in production
Confirm support for your resource syntax and test exported translations in your application. Documentation describes supported workflows, not a guarantee of lossless conversion for every specialized format.