Localization
Department
Localizing
software
There are linguistic and technical aspects to the task of
internationalizing software. The source code and the texts that make up
the MMI have to be translated and adapted to suit the countries in
question. The dialog boxes and icons characterizing the graphical user
interface might well have to be modified in the course of production.
Customizing examples to ensure their appropriateness within a given
cultural environment can also factor as a very important step. Translation
as such is followed by recompilation, functional validation, and testing.
Localizing online help systems
Entails translating the online help texts (complete with
cross-references, keywords, footnotes, glossary and index entries), layout
work and post-editing, plus creating and integrating the screenshots of
the user interface in its new, localized guise. After that the hyperlinks
have to be checked, along with the consistency of the localized software,
prior to functional validation and testing.
Translating user guides
This entails translating and correcting the documentation, creating
and integrating screenshots and assorted graphics illustrating the
localized GUI, and checking consistency with the software.
Once the text has been approved, our specialists put the finishing touches
to the layout. The documentation you get back is ready to go to press.
Localizing Web sites
Over and above translating HTML texts, internationalizing Web sites
involves editing graphics, animations and/or audio files, checking
hyperlinks, validating the accuracy of the linguistic content, and testing
functionality.