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What is Localization?What is Localization?
It is NOT just translation It IS
– Customising for culture– Customising for language– Customising for country
It affects– Language– Design– Structure/Content
Text LocalizationText Localization Translate word for word?
– Often does not work very well– Takes a lot of maintenance– Can allow for fast, generic translation
Translate phrase for phrase?– Works much better than word for word– Can limit the size of the text substituted– Is a good compromise – Translation on the fly can be slow, do offline
Translate text section for text section?– Seems very natural– May mean a bit of local customisation of design– Has to be done offline really
Text LocalizationText Localization
Must take into account different sizes– Table properties– Textual graphics– Etc.
Selection of text– Database driven (easier to update/change)– File driven (maintenance issues)– Directory structure driven (can be efficient)– Program driven (least efficient)
Managing ChangesManaging Changes
Allow a ‘super user’ per language to update? Allow a ‘super user’ per content type to update? Allow a ‘super user’ per locale to update? Update via database? Update a spreadsheet that is then used to update
database? Replace files? Issues involved with each choice
Charset localizationCharset localization
Same language in different countries– E.g Spanish in Spain, Portugal, Mexico etc.
How to determine charset?– Browser setting?– PC setting?– Website choice that user has to make on seeing site?– Portals offer personalisation of charset– Which of the above overrides which?
Charset in ProgrammingCharset in Programming
Various levels at which charset is set– HTML– Program on the server side– Database on the server side– Flash (ISO 8859-1 unless japanese)
Benefits of using unicode?– Supports all charsets– Universally understood
Disadvantages
OdditiesOddities
Double byte translations Chinese/Japanese characters sometimes
contract and sometimes expand the size of text translations
Some languages (Hebrew) are written right to left and require special keyboards
Be careful with special characters
Customization IssuesCustomization Issues
Punctuation Dates Weights/measures Addresses Content Hardware/software Programming for customization Movies
PunctuationPunctuation
$ or £Before or after the numeric? E.g 1000 FFEuros?Formats of phone numbers Formats of zip codes/postal codes
DatesDates
Does 03/04/01 mean March 4, 2001, or April 3, 2001?
Use a word/number combination system like 15-Feb-2001 to reduce ambiguity?
International time zones and presentation formats. Be aware that many countries present time in 24-hour notation (23:15)
Seasonal differences – New Year is not Jan 1 for Chinese
AddressesAddresses
Formats of zip codes/post codesPost code required? Some countries don’t
have themState – required? Different name – region?
Hardware/softwareHardware/software
Mobile phones in Japan, PC in the US are the most commonly used devices for Internet access
14.4 modems still common in some countries
Customization ProgrammingCustomization Programming
Server Side includes?– For sections of the page that are repeated on
each page, but may be different by language
Template driven?Directory structure driven?Config files?
Macromedia MoviesMacromedia Movies
System fonts and other text attributes Colour specsAny action script relevant to localizationInfo about animationNavigation and interactions
Macromedia MoviesMacromedia Movies
Sample Specification document: Localization_home.fla (Home page) Title text: 36 point Vonnes Bold - Extended (embedded static text) Body text: 14 point _sansNavigation buttons (created in Fireworks.
FW_template_buttons.png: Template is provided) up state— 14 pt _sans. Hexadecimal value of #ff9900. Button effect-linear gradient, inner bevel.
down state—12 pt _sans. Hexadecimal value of #FF3300. Button effect-linear gradient, inner bevel.
Marker names: do not require localizationActionScript: does not require localizationScreen shots: user_interface.bmp requires replacement shot using the localized operating systemText on the Products layer is masked by the ProductsMask layer. Turn off the masking to edit the text.
The business sideThe business side
Ensure customer service staff have languages available to them– Linguistic staff– Email programs that accept foreign chars etc
Form values can be submitted in English despite the captions on the screen to enable easier processing
Site review by locals!