Is it possible to manage language translations without directly accessing the PHP translations file? It is beautifully described in the docs how to translate static text using translation files.

As the client has no access to that file and managing a php array is not what I want them to do, I am looking for a way to make edits to the translation file feasible directly in the Control Panel.

This would allow me to set things up in the template and then hand off the actual translation work to someone else.

Yes, you probably have to write a plugin for that. But can you edit the files from a plugin? Is there any API or service available that might help?
I'm pretty new to Craft but I'll tell you what I'd try anyway for fun.

I'd create a "Translations" assets source that would hold files like es.csv.

Then, in craft/translations/es.php, I'd run through that CSV and build the array Craft wants and return it.

&lt;?php

$path = $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'].'/../craft/translations/translations.csv';
$delimiter = ';';
$skip_rows = 1; //skip header rows
$primary_locale_column = 0; //set primary locale column
$this_locale_column = 1; //set secondary locale column for this `lang.php` file

$translations = array();
$translations_file = fopen($path, 'r');

if ($translations_file) {
    while(($translation = fgetcsv($translations_file, 1024, $delimiter)) !== FALSE) {
        if($skip_rows != 0) { $skip_rows--; continue; }
        $translations[$translation[$primary_locale_column]] = $translation[$this_locale_column];
    }
}

return $translations;


This is totally untested.