The Localization process usually starts after an application developer finished to compile the source files in the original language. Then another team processes the source files for use in another language. The original language, for example, might be English, and the second (or target) language might be Spanish. That approach, however, is often expensive and may result in inconsistencies among versions. Some customers may even have decided to purchase the original-language version instead of waiting months for the localized version. A more cost effective and functional model divides the process of developing world-ready applications into three distinct parts, namely globalization, localizability, and localization.

The primary advantages of designing and implementing your application so that it is sensitive and appropriate to regional conventions are:

·             Launching your application onto the market more rapidly. No additional development is necessary to localize an application once the initial version is complete.

·             Using resources more efficiently. Implementing world-readiness, as part of the original development process, requires less development and testing resources than if the support is added after starting the initial development work. Furthermore, adding world-readiness to the finished application may cause your product to be less stable.

·             Your application is easier to maintain. When building the localized version of the application from the same set of sources as the original version, only isolated modules need localization. The key to this aspect of designing software rests on using resource files for the localized versions of the application.

Globalization

Globalization is the process of outlining and developing a software product that functions in multiple cultures/locales. A culture/locale is a set of rules and data that are specific to a given language and geographic area. These rules and data include information on:

·             Character classification

·             Date and time formatting

·             Numeric, currency, weight, and measure conventions

·             Sorting rules

The globalization process includes:

·             Recognizing the culture/locale that must be supported

·             Designing features which support those cultures/locales

·             Writing code that functions equally well in any of the supported cultures/locales

Localizability

Localizability is an intermediate process aimed at verifying that globalized applications are ready for localization. Localizability helps ensure that localization will not introduce any functional defects into the application.

Localizability is also the process of preparing an application for localization. An application prepared for localization has two conceptual blocks, a data block and a code block. The data block exclusively contains all the user-interface string resources. The code block exclusively contains only the application code applicable for all cultures/locales.

In theory, changing only the data block can help in developing a localized version of the application, which is then ready for translation. The code block for all cultures/locales should be the same. The combination of the data block with the code block produces a localized version of the application. The keys to successful world-ready software design and subsequent localization success are:

·             Making sure that the code block and the data block are separated

·             Application's ability to accurately read data regardless of the culture/locale

Localization

Localization is the process of adapting an application, which has already underwent the localizability process, to a particular culture/locale.

The localization process refers to translating the application user interface (UI) or adapting graphics for a specific culture/locale. The localization process can also include translating any help content associated with the application. Most localization teams use specialized tools that aid in the localization process by recycling translations of recurring text and resizing application UI elements to accommodate localized text and graphics.

Localizing the application also requires a basic understanding of relevant character sets commonly used in modern software development and an understanding of the issues associated with them. Although all computers store text as numbers (codes), different systems can (and do) store the same text using different numbers. In a general sense, this issue has never been more important than in this era of networks and distributed computing.

 **********

We can help you convert your product (software, documentation, online help, multimedia, etc.) into other languages.

The Weizman Group specializes in Hebrew and Arabic, as well as FIGS (French, Italian, German, Spanish) and CCJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean). We also handle Russian, Dutch, Portuguese, Swedish, Turkish, and other European and Asian languages.

For more information on our translation services, please download our profile

HERE

or contact:

www.WSL.co.il

Sagi Adiv
Weizman Group Services
www.WSL.co.il

Kibbutz Giv?at Ha-Shlosha, P.O.Box 379,

48800 ISRAEL

Tel: 972-3-9018890

Mobile: 972-54 -3286565
Fax: 972-3-9018897
wsl-info@wsl.co.il

_{Tags:
English Translation | French Translation | German Translation | Hebrew Translation | Italian Translation | Japanese Translation | Spanish Translation | Chinese translation | Bi-directional Localization | Multilingual Localization | Hebrew | Arabic | English | French | Spanish | Italian | GUI Localization | Technical Writing | Desktop Publishing (DTP) | Documentation Localization | Software Localization & Globalization | Professional Translation | Software | Web Content | Globalization and Localization}