LRC ’03

Localisation Engineering

Standards in the Digital World the Localisers’ Perspective

Enda McDonnell

LRC ’03

• Whoami– Enda McDonnell– Software Architect at Alchemy

Software

• Standards affecting software localisation

• Theme

Introduction

LRC ’03

Internet

• Huge Driving Force– Web Applications– Web Services

DBDB xmlxml

InternetInternetDesktopDesktop

LRC ’03

Microsoft .NET

• Applications– Web Apps– Desktop Apps– XML Web

Services– Enterprise Apps

• Languages• C++• C#• VB• J#• more…

LRC ’03

.NET and Software L10n

• New Formats.resxWinForms

.rc .rc .resx .resx

Dialogs Dialogs MenusMenus

String TablesString Tables

WinFormsWinFormsMenus*Menus*Strings*Strings*

NET Binaries

Databases

XML

LRC ’03

.NET and Software L10n

• Paradigm Change

LRC ’03

XML

• Structured content– Eg. Music CD Catalog

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XML

• Catalyst attributes meaning

LRC ’03

Visual Xliff

• Emerging standard• Stores L10n information in xml

– text segments eg. ‘Cancel’– visual information for forms, eg. Co-ords– process info. eg. suggested translations

• You need Native support for Xliff

LRC ’03

Databases

• Highly structured data• Large volumes• Mono-lingual databases• Multi-lingual databases

LRC ’03

Mono-Lingual DBs

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Mono-Lingual DBs

• Copy of DB is localised for target

LRC ’03

Multi-Lingual DBs

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Multi-Lingual DBs

• Exporting / Importing data to/from XML– Extra process steps– Error Prone

• Need native, direct access to data

LRC ’03

Database L10n

LRC ’03

Database L10n

• Direct Visual connection via ADO to any datasource

• Structure your own query• Identify Source, Target & Ids• DB Engineer generates *.DDF• Create once, then automate• Both mono & multi - lingual

LRC ’03

Text Files• Emerging Standard?• Unicode text Files

– ANSI, UTF8, UTF-16

• Name Value Pairs where ID is critical– Assign ID in L10n tool– Dramatically improves accuracy of

leverage

LRC ’03

Name Value Pairs• Why is the ID so important?

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Name-Value Paired Text

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Name-Value Paired Text

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Name-Value Paired Text

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Name Value Pairs• Trait based Leverage

– Greatly improved re-use of TM

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Summary• Visual Tools – Huge Productivity Gains• .NET

– Resx– Dot Net Binaries (Satellite Assemblies)

• XML (Visual Programming)• Native Xliff Support• Database (Direct Visual Connection)

– ADO connection to any source

• Text – Utf-8, utf-16– Name Value pairs

LRC ’03

Thank You !

Enda McDonnellendamcd@alchemysoftware.i

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