Introduction
Today there are about 340 million
non-English speaking Internet users and nearly half of
all Internet users live in Asia and Europe (this figure will grow
to 75% by 2005, when there will be about a billion people online).
Many companies ignore this fact and release only English
versions of their software products. But the increasing competition
makes this approach unreasonable. Even if the user knows English,
he will choose the software supporting his native language when
other conditions are equal. Increase your revenues, localize
your applications with LangAgent!
LangAgent is a software localization suite designed
to make the localization process as smooth as possible. LangAgent
enables you to divide the work of the programmer and the translator,
thus the programmer will be free from performing additional operations
connected with localization, and there will be no necessity for
the translator to have programming skills (such as, for instance,
the skill of editing resource files).
For example, programmer wants to display a MessageBox with an error
message. Using standard approach he or she should: switch to the
resource editor and open a string table window; use the menu to
insert a new string; enter the text and give a reasonable and unique
name to the string's identifier; switch back to the code and type
the string's identifier again. Using LangAgent, programmer should
type just one string: AfxMessageBox(LSTR("Error! some text
goes here")); there is no need to switch windows, use resource
editor and digress from the programming.
LangAgent automatically generates tasks for translators, considers
the size of texts for translation and provides various statistical
information. LangAgent will easily help you to use remote translators,
in this case you will not have to send them the source program code.
LangAgent supports version control, so if you release a new version
with only a few added or modified messages, LangAgent will generate
tasks for translation including only the modified and new phrases.
LangAgent supports phrase dictionaries, which enables you to translate
standard messages into main European languages automatically. You
can use LangAgent not only for localization into other languages
but also for proofreading the main (generally English) language
(it is especially important if the main language is not native for
programmers engaged in a project). The LangAgent add-in for Visual
Studio enables you to apply LangAgent to your projects as quickly
as possible.
The current version of LangAgent is oriented towards Visual C++.
It is very easy to use! Take a look:
AfxMessageBox(LSTR("Hello world!")); // just use LSTR macro with
strings you want to translate (replace _T)
CMyCoolDialog dlg; // don't worry about resources
dlg.DoModal(); // LangAgent automatically translates ALL resources
(dialogs, menus, strings)
The
standard localization approach |
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LangAgent
localization approach |
- A lot of additional operations. The developer to
constantly switch between editing the resource file and
working with C++ code.
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- Easy to use, minimum additional operations. The
programmer mustn't get distracted from his main work. Just
use LSTR macro with your strings. That's all.
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- Demands certain skills not usual for translators:
editing resources (especially such as dialog boxes), besides,
it requires some special software which is not free in most
cases.
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- The division of the programmer's and the translator's
work. The programmer's work is to develop software,
the translator's work is to translate.
- The translator doesn't need to have programming skills
- It is possible to use remote translators, there
is no necessity to send the source code
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- There is no version control available for translated
resources. Suppose, you have edited a message or added
a new one, what should you do? In this case releasing new
versions becomes a great problem.
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- Automatic version control. When the developer modifies/adds
text, the translator should to receive the translation task
containing only the modified or added text.
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- Localization requires a lot of code for switching between
languages.
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- Maximum automated tasks; minimum additional code.
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- A great number of routine operations connected
with generating and counting tasks for translators is necessary.
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- Automatically counting tasks for translators; full
statistics.
- Automated interaction between the developer and the
translator; counting translation amount.
- Minimized translation amount due to using special
dictionaries. If a certain phrase has already been used
(for instance, in another project), LangAgent uses the known
translation. This is the way for you to avoid duplicating
words and lessen the translation task size.
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Note that LangAgent can be used not only for localization into
other languages but also for proofreading the main (usually
English) language (it is especially important if the main language
is not native for programmers engaged in a project).
Please note that LangAgent is a software suite that helps you localize
your applications. We do not offer tranlation services at the moment.
RegSnap
is an example of software product which was localized using LangAgent.
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