Software Translator

Newsletter September 2002

Software Translator

- Localization and Translation Software -

Software Translator translates your Windows applications into new languages without affecting or altering the source code in any way

Software Translator is a 'translation driver' in the same way as you already have, for example, a print driver and a mouse driver.

Contents:

Translate any Windows program

-into a language of your choice and without affecting or altering the source code in any way!

You will get:

More customers and reach more markets
Customers better able to learn to use your programs
Less strain on your customer support
Customers who are more interested in updating their programs
The ability to change the language of the user interface as easily as changing the font in Word

You will avoid:

Having to wait to release a translated version. Release your program in several languages simultaneously
Maintaining and updating the source code for each language version. You will only maintain one source code file
Function testing different language versions. The fact that it does not affect your program means there is no change and therefore no additional function tests for new language versions
Having to redo the translation for every patch, bug fix and new release. You will simply need to include any new terms in the translation dictionary

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Some products that have been translated using Software Translator

A long list of products has been translated using Software Translator. In some cases the customer is the software developer wishing to gain entry into language markets quickly and easily, and in other cases it is a subsidiary or a distributor needing to translate products in 'their' market in order to be able to sell and compete effectively.

Here are some examples of products that have been translated using Software Translator:

AutoCAD into Dutch and Swedish	Iron IronCAD into Swedish
Commence into Swedish and Finnish	Flyps into Chinese
GeoMedia into Swedish	Land Desktop into Swedish

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Testing of Software Translator

'Software Translator is a totally unique program developed in Sweden which solves the problem of programs in languages you do not understand'

Pros: Completely unique for the translation of software
Cons: None
Content: ........................................ 5 out of 5
Performance ................................. 5 out of 5
Value for money............................. 5 out of 5

DatorMagazin is one of Sweden’s largest computer magazines aimed at software developer

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Network version of Software Translator

Software Translator can be run either as a client installation or as a server installation. It is most common to place Software Translator’s run-time licence locally and the current dictionary files centrally on a network server or an FTP server so that they are easy to update in the event of new releases of the translated program.

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Client-server version of Software Translator

Software Translator can also be run in a client-server environment, for example Citrix solutions have been successfully tested. This means that it is possible to use Software Translator even from 'thin clients'.

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Different language versions of Software Translator

Software Translator can itself be translated into the language of your choice. There are currently English, Swedish, Turkish and Brazilian (Portuguese) versions of Software Translator.

Software Translator’s user interface contains little more than 150 words and phrases, which means that we can supply the language version of your choice within 1-2 days of receiving the order.

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Unicode version of Software Translator

Software Translator can already translate from and into Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Greek and other languages that have their own character sets (which differ from those used in the rest of Europe and America). This is done by changing the settings in the control panel.

In order to manage different character sets more efficiently, Software Translator will soon support Unicode.

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Languages supported by Software Translator

Software Translator can handle any language and any number of languages.
Software Translator is currently supplied with 27 languages and it is possible to choose any language as'source language' and any language as 'target language':

The languages that come with Software Translator contain around 3000 common phrases and will of course need to be added to the software that is to be translated, but for testing the process itself this works very well.

…………………………………………………………………...

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Handling of text strings that become too long

When you translate from one language into another, for example from English into German, the translated text often becomes longer. In the case of, for example, drop-down menus, screen tips or tabs, it is not normally a problem, as they adjust their size to the content.

On buttons and certain controls there is no adjustment of size and it is then necessary in some cases to abbreviate a word or phrase.

Where the abbreviation requires clarification, Software Translator can provide new screen tips in which the whole text is shown, in much the same way as Microsoft has done in Outlook Express (see Figure).

Explanatory screen tips for truncated text are also provided in the original English version of Outlook Express

It is possible to add more detailed information in a screen tip in order for the program to be easier to use

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Administrator’s licence and run-time licence

Many of the customers (software developers and distributors) who buy Software Translator do not want their customers, i.e. the program users, to be able to change the dictionary file which determines how terms are translated. They do not want the program users to think about the tool that has been used to produce the translated program.

For this reason, there is an administrator’s licence which allows an administrator, where necessary, to update the dictionary file that is used. The administrator also decides if there are to be different translations of a particular word, depending on where in the program it occurs.

The run-time licence is what we call the 'translation driver' and is installed on the program user’s computer. It is extremely compact, being no larger than 200-300 KB (depending on the size of the dictionary) and it does not affect either the performance or the stability of the computer in any significant way.

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'Hidden' translation

If, for whatever reason, the customer wishes to have an administrator’s licence (see above) on a program user’s computer, but at the same time does not want the program user to be able to change the dictionary file which controls how terms are translated, it is possible to opt to run the administrator’s license in hidden mode, i.e. invisible to the user.

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Reference book

Dictionary containing 27 languages included in Software Translator

The software translation tool Software Translator has now become a computer dictionary, too, containing IT words and phrases in 27 different languages. These languages include most European languages, including Russian and Estonian, as well as Asian languages like Korean, Chinese, Japanese and Thai.

The dictionary files enable you to look up a word or phrase in any language that you wish to translate into any other language. The accompanying dictionaries include the most common terms for most EU languages as well as other important languages spoken in Europe and Asia.

It is possible to supplement the dictionary files with your own terms and phrases in order to adapt the dictionary to a company’s own terminology, or for special terms within a particular industry.

Click on the icon 'Dictionary'

It is easy to look up words or phrases containing certain words to see the correct translation of them.

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What they say about Software Translator

'…before this there was no practical way
of translating GIS software, particularly
from a financial point of view…

'…the sales volume ought to stop at the number of Windows licences sold…'

'…and the triumphal procession starts…'

'Lindab can focus on just one piece of source code, with the software still working in several languages'

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Eurocity Software - Olofsgatan 18 - 111 36 Stockholm Sweden - phone +46 8 23 40 23 - info@eurocitysoftware.com