Software Localization Engineering

In our experience, localization engineering plays a major role in determining the success of software localization or testing projects. It is the smaller part when compared with the larger human efforts often required for localization or testing, but one that has a direct impact on the efficiency of the process, and the quality of the final product.

Insufficient attention to localization engineering may lead to unnecessary or duplicate activities in the process, delays, increased costs, or products with defects that could have been easily avoided.

We are proud of the trust we have won from our global blue-chip clients in this area since the early 1990s. They rely on our multilingual engineering capabilities and our localization engineers have become a natural extension of their product development and localization teams.

Localization engineering is a fast-developing area, as processes, tools and technologies keep improving constantly. Our team of localization engineering professionals has the broad experience of working for today's leading software companies. This gives you the confidence your products will be localized in the most efficient way possible today.

At Moravia, we have solutions for both possible software localization approaches:

• Source-based localization
• Binary localization

Source-based Localization

Source-based localization is a universal process that can be used with products designed for any platform. It is based on localization of text files which contain only textual representation of user interface elements, i.e. we not deal with the source code directly. In this model, source file compilation as well as build creation is typically performed by the customer's engineers.

Binary Localization

With binary localization, all activities are focused on the compiled modules or directly on the whole product as such. Our clients only need to provide us with the original product. Tools we use identify binary file structure and can make all application texts, dialog boxes, menus, etc. available for localization, while the application code itself is fully protected.

In this approach, far fewer files are involved in the localization process, therefore file preparation and management time is reduced. Extra compilation is not necessary since translation occurs directly on the binary files and translated files can go into the client's mastering and QA process immediately. This approach is limited to the Microsoft Windows platform. At Moravia, we have the engineering experience to design and create full software localization process based on this model.

Software Localization Engineering Services

We provide the following software localization engineering services:

Software Analysis

• Product analysis and localizability assessment reporting
• List of files to be localized; highlight of files that cannot be localized with standard tools, methods; highlight of non-standard file formats
• Initial project scope (word count) analysis
• Localization process estimates

Localization Process Development

• Detailed localization process design based on Software Analysis and client input
• Preparation of localization project schedule, localization kit and instructions for translators
• Creation of parsers, processes for specific file types
• Development of building/mastering process and pseudo-translation build

Building/Mastering

• Creation of localized versions of product using fully- or semi-automatic process
• Post-processing of translated files before building/mastering
• Build validation through automated smoke test
• ISO image archive file creation

Bugfixing

• Investigation of all reported bugs from testing stages
• Repair of all defects introduced during localization process; reporting of any newly-found defects
• Repair of all truncated, overlapped or misaligned strings; duplicated or non-working hotkeys; mis-translated, un-translated or over-translated strings; etc.
• Report of any broken functionality, hard-coded strings, etc.

Process Automation

• Optimization of localization processes through batch processing, automation of engineering tasks
• Use of programming languages and scripts to optimize processes, primarily Perl, Python, VBA, VBScript, JavaScript, AppleScript and Windows Script Host
• Automation of process steps such as mastering, smoke testing, downloading, leveraging

To find out how our expertise in software localization engineering could help you meet the challenges associated with multilingual localization and testing, please complete the Request for Information form and we will get back to you shortly, or see other options for contacting us.