Software Localisation

Software localisation is a complex operation requiring careful co-ordination and collaboration between professionals with different skills. Typical software localisation projects require input from from translators, graphic designers, programmers and marketing experts. London Translations provide the linguistic and technical skills to ensure your software localisation project is successful.

London Translations offer comprehensive software localisation services. Whatever your software localisation requirement, we can help. Please call now to discuss your project. Typical software localisation projects include the following elements.

Code Translation

Translation of all GUI Components of a software application, such as dialogue boxes, menus, error/status messages, tool tips, string tables, version info among others. Translation can be done either in the RC resources files (text files) or directly in the compiled program binary files (exe or dll).

• Compilation of list of Non-Translatables, variables, control codes.
• Hot keys, control keys and function keys assignment.

Software Engineering

• Checking source material, file integrity and completeness of the localisation kits
• Configuring build environments
• Test-compiling by performing psuedo-translation
• Dialogue box resizing
• Checking for duplicate hot keys
• Extraction of dialogue co-ordinates and text from previous versions, processing updates
• Bitmap editing
• Installer creation

Software Testing

• Linguistic Testing. Verification of application execution, display of accented characters, punctuation checking, hyphenation rule adherence, translations consistency, etc.
• User Interface Testing. Focuses on all visual aspects of a localised application. Checking for truncated strings, overlapping controls, dynamic dialogue box display, duplicate hot keys etc.
• Functionality Testing. Focuses on the actual functionality of the localised application. Verifies that the functionality and feature set of the localised application mirror that of the application written in the source language.

Online Help Translation

• Translation of HTML Help files, Win Help files, including RTF and CNT files
• Translation of jumps, popups, footnotes
• Translation of tagged format files like HTML, XML
• Translation of parsed text files, Java files, Read-Me files
• Online Help Engineering and Testing

Project evaluation and set up

• Checking source material, test-compiling, preparing files for translation
  
• Checking display in various type of browsers.
• Visual comparison of source and target files.
• Testing page layout, navigation features (table of contents, key-word index, jumps ), context-sensitive help

Documentation Translation

We translate all software documentation including manuals (online and printed) and collateral materials. Typical examples include;

• Installation Guides
• Getting Started Guides
• Online manuals
• Collateral material such as quick reference cards, disk labels, product boxes, warrantee cards etc.

As part of the translation process we compile customer specific glossaries and are able to save time by updating translations from any previous versions you may have using Translation Memory Tools such as Trados and Alchemy Catalyst.