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Software localisation:
Working with PASSOLO
I Software localisationLocalisation is the process of adapting a program for a specific international market, including translating the user interface, resizing dialogs and testing the results to ensure that the program still works. PASSOLO was developed to achieve this.
1. Prerequisites
In order to complete this exercise you will need to install the demo version 6.0 of PASSOLO, available free of charge from the PASSOLO website (see: http://www.passolo.com/en/download.stm). For this exercise, the demo version functionalities suffice, but certain limitations apply, i.e. the number of translatable strings is limited to 50, only basic statistical information is available, the project cannot be saved but the target file can be generated.
2. Outline of this exercise sheet
To illustrate this exercise sheet we have included several screen shots created using PASSOLO demo version 6.0.
On completion of this exercise, you should be able to:
• Create a new project in PASSOLO
• Define the project settings: languages, generate strings and attach glossaries
• Translate and QA “Notepad” (notepad.exe)
• Generate the target file
3. Preparing your working environment
Before starting work in PASSOLO, you should prepare your working environment by creating an appropriate project folder structure. We recommend you create separate folders for the source file, glossaries and your project.
2 Please download the zipped folder called “Notepad” from our eCoLoTrain webpage which contains several files – including the exe. file you want to localise – and store it in your source file folder.
4. Creating Win32 Project - Seting up a localisation project
Like some other translation memory tools, PASSOLO works in project mode, meaning that all the resources and, in this case, languages associated with a specific localisation project are available. This is particularly useful for project management, as the amount of files that have to be monitored is significantly reduced compared to a situation where project mode is not available.
– Setting up a localisation project:
• Start PASSOLO
• Select CREATE NEW PROJECT and click on OK
• In the Project Setup window, give the project a Name and define the Location where it should be saved
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• Click ADD SOURCE…This is the source file you want to localise. Here, use the file “notepad.exe” stored in your project folder.
4 – Adding a source file (Notepad.exe):
• In the Folder area, browse for the folder where your source fileis stored
• In the File area below, select the source file you want to localise (“notepad.exe”). You can see in File Type drop down menu the files types handled by PASSOLO which you may need to localise.
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• The Properties – Source List window sets different properties, such as the language of the source file which, is normally automatically identified. Click OK
6 – Adding a language:
• In the Project Setup window click ADD LANGUAGE, at the Languages level
• In the Language window that opens up, select your Target Language from the drop-down menu.
• Click OK. If your project involves more than one target language, keep adding as many target languages as necessary.
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8 5. Preparing a localisation project
• You have now created the project. In the tree structure in the project window click SOURCES ;this gives information about the source file to be localised. In the project window, on the bottom right-hand corner, there are details about the location and the language of the source file, as well as information about the number of strings to be translated
• To see the strings to be localised, the software needs to extract them from the source file. To do this, go to the toolbar menu and select String List Æ Create/Update String List.
• Click OK in the pop-up window Updating string lists
• Open the Source List by double-clicking on the first project line. All the strings will be listed under the newly created tab, called Sources.
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• Scroll down to the string notepad.hlp in the string list table (probably string number 87)
• Right-click on the string notepad.hlp and select swap “read-only” Flag to lock this string. This means that for all localised target files this string will be locked, and
impossible to translate or edit in any way. Usually, there are strings whose content needs to be preserved in all languages.
• Go to the File Menu and select Save
• Return to project window tab, go to the String List menu and select the language. Click Create/Update String List.
10 You have just finished the first step: Seting up and preparing a Localisation Project. You can now move to the next phase: Translation of a Localisation Project.
11 6. Translating a localisation project
You are now ready to start translating and localising the strings created in the previous step.
• On the navigation window, click on TARGETS
• Click on the target language in the Translation Lists. Go to String List in the menu,then Create/Update String List to create your Target list. This will automatically generate strings for the selected target language. Repeat for all target languages in your project. You will notice that for every target language, a new tab is created after the Project and the Sources tabs. You can switch between those tabs freely at any point during the localisation process.
• Open the Source List by double-clicking on the first project lineand scroll down to the string notpad.hlp List
13 - Auto-Translation:
PASSOLO demo version comes with a glossary in 5 languages, which can be used for the project. Users can also attach their own .txt dictionary.
These glossaries are particularly useful for auto-translation. During auto-translation, PASSOLO scans (searches) the glossary automatically for the current string and inserts matches into the target area. Even if the translations are inserted in the target strings, the user will still have to review and validate each string individually.
• Click on Translation Æ Auto-Translate… in the menu
• Select Translation List – NOTEPAD:German (or another selected language)
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• [1] Auto-translated strings are marked in green. Other colours used for marking the status of strings are: red = untranslated, blue = Manual Translation, black = Translated and Validated
• [2] The window Output shows the result of the latest action. The Auto-Translation results appear in the Messages tab.
• [3] Shows the percentage of the auto-translation done
- Translation:
You are now ready to start translating the strings that have not been auto-translated. This will be done in the Translation String window, under the Text tab. Use the icon to validate the translation and the
arrows to move between strings. You will have to localise dialog boxes, menus and strings. While translating Windows applications, pay attention to the following issues:
a) Underlines indicate those letters that will activate a particular selection when pressed in combination with the Alt key:e.g. File: Alt+F drops down File menu (Hot Keys)
b) Code includes an ampersand (&) immediately before the letter to be displayed underlined (e.g. &File)
c) Ampersand must be retained in the translation - & is placed before the appropriate letter
Moreover, software programming may be involved in the localisation process: screen dialog boxes & field lengths may have to be altered; date, time & currency formats changed; icons & colours adapted.
15 - Editing dialog boxes:
Among the most challenging components of software localisation are dialog boxes. These are windows that appear on the screen offering the user information or options for the next step in the current application.
• Click on the Dialog folderin the tree on the resources window. This folder comprises all the dialog boxes that appear in the .exe file and that may contain strings to be translated. Double click Page Setup in the Navigationwindow.
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• Click on the German term “Landscape” in the dialog box and translate it in the Translation String Window
In German, for example, the term “Landscape” can have two different meanings. Therefore, it is helpful to see the context of the term in WYSIWYG mode to avoid translation mistakes and to ensure translation quality. To get to WYSIWYG mode, double-click the Dialog Folder in the left-hand window and then the
corresponding dialog to be edited.
Since translation may involve expansion of words, it is sometimes required to resize certain buttons in the dialog that have been translated. To resize either the entire dialog or only parts of it, use the blue resizing arrows.
17 7. - QA-Tests
-Spellchecker:
To check the spelling, use the Translation Æ Check Spelling menu option or press F7 -Check for localisation errors :
• Select Translation Æ Check All Translations
• A description of the errors encountered together with the string number is displayed in the Output window. Double click on the errors shown in the Output windowto jump to the error. The numbers in brackets at the bottom of the screen-shot refer to the errors.
• After correcting all errors shown repeat the command Translation Æ Check All Translations. [You will see the message No errors found in the Output Window Æ Check]
18 8. Generating your localised target file(s)
• Select String List Æ Generate Target File
• Click OK
• In the Output Window you can see the path and the name of your localised Target File
• Navigate to the localised .exe file and open it.
