An effective way to Localize my Revolution Projects for Multiple Languages

[Rob Cozens]

Hi Derek,

>I should ask this question of the list, just to see if anyone has 
>found an effective way of working with Localized (multiple-language) projects.

Most of the common approaches have been described by others; so I 
would only add:

* Saving all program text and prompts in a different text file for 
each language means only the text pertinent to the currently-selected 
language is loaded in RAM

* Storing language text & prompts in a text file in line-per-line 
format means your application can support _any_ language for which a 
text file can be created, not just the languages you build in pre release.

* If text is stored in a line-per-line format, it is a simple task to 
display each line in turn to a translator, who then types the same 
line in the new language in a field below it.  Once all lines are 
translated, the application can immediately change languages by 
loading text from the new file.

* Any translation scheme must also deal with formatting numbers, 
dates, and currency amounts differently based on system preferences 
(actually, IMO even a single-language program should present dates, 
numbers, and amounts formatted as specified by the user to the OS).

* I strongly advocate the use of icons (supplemented with tool tips, 
if you will) instead of label text to avoid spacing issues.  This is 
especially useful for labels above columnar tables: the text may be x 
characters long in one language and, say, 5*x characters in another 
language; but the column heading width remains constant without lots 
of empty space in one instance or incomprehensible abbreviation or 
truncation in the other.

Normally, I would refer you to the Serendipity Library/SDB download 
for working examples of all these points; however the old download 
went down with Andre Garzia's old web site, and it is not my 
intention to update it until the revisions I am working on are 
further tested and bundled for distribution.  If you'd like to 
explore this further, contact me off-list.

Rob Cozens
CCW, Serendipity Software Company

"And I, which was two fooles, do so grow three;
Who are a little wise, the best fooles bee."

from "The Triple Foole" by John Donne (1572-1631)