Providing translation assistance in application localization

Methods and systems for providing translation assistance are disclosed. A method includes: storing translation data representing changes to translations during a time interval between a first time and a second time; building the source code project into a reference application in the second language, comprising: replacing an identifier of each text message in the source code project with a translation of the text message in the second language made at the second time, and for a text message whose translation has changed during the time interval, inserting the identifier of the text message whose translation has changed as hidden information associated with the translation of the text message; and rendering the reference application for presentation to a user for translation checking, including highlighting the text messages that have an associated hidden identifier.