Tutorial for Translators: Easy way to update translations for mod updates (Patreon)

Translators of Sims 4 mods, this post is to show you a way to do translations that allows for very quick and simple updates of your translations when a mod update comes by. 

(Edit: just found out about a very very recent new program for translators which looks like it is building up to have the ability to do the same as the things described below. Definitely something to keep an eye on! It's in alpha and thus experimental but if you want to try it out, it's here. Otherwise, I recommend the methods described below, which are tried and true, and fully stable.)

Many of you already work like this or similarly - but for those who haven't heard of this way to do things, here goes! This offers a very quick way to merge an existing translation with new, not-translated-yet text from an updated mod, so that all you have to do is translate the new bits, and not copy string table elements one by one or some similar insanity! ;)
All you need is Deaderpool's STBL Editor and S4PE.  Neither of them require to be installed, you just use them out of a folder.  
So, start by grabbing those programs. You don't need to read anything on their pages if you don't want to, I'll explain what to do here. If you're not convinced yet that you want them, read the entire process as described below and you'll get an idea of why I'm recommending this system.
To grab S4PE, scroll down a tiny bit on the download page until you find "Assets", and grab the first file on the list. To grab STBL editor, just click (Download Latest Version" towards the middle of the page).
Now, we are ready to start!
First, we'll look at the process if you're making a new translation. Then, I'll describe the process for updating an existing translation to fit a mod update. The real advantage of using these programs is when updating a translation.
A. MAKING A BRAND NEW TRANSLATION
0. If you really love doing that in Sims 4 Studio, you can do that. In that case, skip ahead to part B - "Updating a translation".
1. Open STBL Editor, then under "File", select "Open from Package". Select the package of the mod you wish to translate. Select the string table of the language you're translating towards. It opens in the program. (If only English is available, open that; then, when you save, you will have to remember to change the language).


2. You can edit text right here in the STBL editor. Click twice on the line you want to edit, and start typing! Or, select all text in a line (click in the text once, or do ctrl+A), paste that in a word processor, write a translation, select the text of your translation, and paste it in STBL editor instead of the original text. Once you're done, save. It will save as an STBL file. 

Please do not send STBL files to mod creators unless you're sure they use S4PE exclusively or asked for a STBL file. If they use S4S, they can't read STBL files. If you don't know what they use, follow the next step as well:
3. Open S4PE, create a new package ("File" then "New"). Under"Resources", go to "import", then "Import from File". Import the STBL file you saved earlier. Save this package and send it to the modder  (if that's the arrangement y'all have). You're done! :) 

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When the mod gets updated, it may have new text. If so:
B. UPDATING A TABLE AND TRANSLATION FOR A MOD UPDATE
1. Open STBL Editor.  Under "File" go "Open from Package",  and select the new version of the mod, with new, untranslated text in it. Open the string table for the language you're translating towards. Save as an STBL file. Since you can't really rename those as you're saving them, perhaps keep it in a labeled folder. Close the program.
2. Open STBL Editor again. Under "File" go "Open", and select your STBL file from the previous version of the translation. 
If you accidentally did not keep that file, did your first translation in S4S, or if you're picking up from another translator who stopped translating, do the following instead:  In "File", do "Open from Package". Select the package of the previous version of the mod in which a translation exists for the language you're working with. Select the string table of the matching language. Once it's open in STBL Editor, you can save it as an STBL file for future reference - if you choose to do so, immediately move the saved file to a folder labeled with the mod version within the STBL Editor folder, otherwise it will be overwritten by the next steps. Keep the program open and continue with the next steps.
2. Under "Tools", choose "Create Difference XML".


3. This window opens. Under "STBL for comparison",  choose the new version of the mod, with the new, not-translated-yet text in it (you saved the STBL file of that a minute ago; that's the file you need to select here). 
4. Under "XML to Save results", click on the three dots, then select a location and create a file name for the XML that will be generated. That XML file will contain the new text added from the update, and only that. You don't even need to go in that file though, we'll simply import it.
Once you've clicked "Ok" on the window above, you get a result a bit like below:

NOTE: the order of things really matters here. You need to open the OLD version of the table (your old translation) in STBL Editor, and "STBL for Comparison" MUST be the STBL for the NEW version of the mod / string table. (So you must at the very beginning extract the new string from the updated mod's package and save it as an STBL).
So, the program created an XML file with the new strings only in it. Very cute! Now we are going to import the new strings that it stores.
5. Under "File", choose "Import XML", and - you've guessed - select the XML that was just created. The result? The new strings are imported, merged with the old translation. Until you click on something, they'll show in bright yellow. 

6. Do your translations, save the file as an STBL. Once again, please do not submit STBL files to modders unless you know for sure they use S4PE. If not:
7. Open S4PE. Under "File" create a "New" package. Under "Resources", go to "Import", then "Import from file", and select the merged STBL from before. 
8. Save this package, send it to the mod creator (if that's the arrangement y'all have). If you're a S4S user and want to translate in S4S, open that package there and go!
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C. REFORMULATION OF THE UPDATE PROCESS FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO TRANSLATE ONLY IN S4S
It's pretty much the same as above, except you don't translate in STBL Editor, but will do so later in S4S. Still, in case you want a dedicated walkthrough:
1. Open STBL Editor, choose "Open from package", select the new, updated version of the mod you're translating. Select the string of the language towards which you're translating. Save as a STBL file.
2. Open your old translation in STBL Editor through "Open from Package" and choosing the old mod version. In "Tools", choose "Create difference XML" as described above. 
3. "STBL to compare" is the STBL of the NEW version of the mod, which we just saved previously. For "XML to save results", click on the three dots, give a name and a folder to the output xml file. Click ok. The new text added by the mod update has been extracted to the xml file.
4. Now, in "File", select "Import XML", and select that same XML you just created. Save the resulting merged table as an STBL file...
5. Open S4PE, in "File", create a "New" package. In "Resources", go to "Import", select "Import from file". Select the STBL you just saved. Save the resulting package.
6. Now you can open this package containing the merged table (your old translation + the new text in English) in Sims 4 Studio, translate the new bits, save and be done! 
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And that's it! If you didn't know of the wonderful STBL Editor, I hope this has given you ideas on how to simplify your translation update process. If you know a better way to do this - do let me know! I don't do translations so I know only the little that I know.
Don't hesitate to write to me for any question,
Best,
Lumpinou