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Software Localisation Course 5

2. Components

7.2.1 Documentation - File Formats

File Formats and Content

Some examples of websites file formats which can contain translatable text are:

 

As already explained in previous software localisation courses (see L10N Course 3), these types of file formats contain text and tags – which define text structure and formatting (in the case of HTML). Usually, HTML and XML files are localised using translation memory systems or software localisation tools. In these types of files, translatable elements (in bold) are normally located in:

 

  • Website title: The website title is only displayed in the title bar of the web browser and it is used by search engines. It appears in the head of a HTML or XML page. For example:

Nur der fettgedruckte Text ist zu übersetzen.

                                                                                                                              Text in bold is the only translatable text

  • Meta tags with lists of keywords: these are also used by search engines and contain translatable text, for example:

         Text in bold is the only translatable text

  • In the body of the HTML or XML page, the text may include internal formatting (e.g. bold or italics, etc.) which has to be inserted in the translation, for example:

                                                                                                                             Text in bold is the only translatable text

  • Text in hyperlinks: when target of the hyperlink has a different name in the target-language version of the website it must be changed, for example:

                                                                                                                              Text in bold is the only translatable text

  • Paths and file names: Sometimes paths and files names in HTML or XML files must be changed to correspond to the original names (in case that these were also translated). This happens, for example, in the case of graphics or contents of pop-up fields – which are displayed by passing the mouse over them (e.g. tooltips).
  • Input boxes/fields and buttons: In the case of input boxes/fields and buttons, some given values have to be translated but not all of them. For example, in the following input field taken from the eCoLoTrain website:

Nur der fettgedruckte Text ist zu übersetzen.

 which really looks like this:

                                                                                                                              Text in bold is the only translatable text

Only the value "Enter search term" is going to be translated. The value "Text" of INPUT TYPE should not be changed. The same input field translated into French looks like this:

                                                                                                                             Text in bold is the only translatable text

  • Text in scripts: The only translatable text in scripts is the text written into the document by the script. Text in comments (marked by the character sequence: "<!--….-->" is not translatable. For example:

                                                                                                                             Text in bold is the only translatable text

[DE: Animation handshake]
nimated graphics with text

When localising graphics it is important to know if the graphic is culturally acceptable or understandable or if it must be adapted; if colours and background correspond to the information contained in the text; if text contained in the graphics needs to be translated. The most localisation-friendly graphics are those composed of several layers, where text, background and image are saved in different layers. For editing these type of files, applications such as PaintShop, Adobe Illustrator or PhotoShop are needed.

 

[DE: Animation]
Editing graphics with layers

When localising animated graphics such as Flash, the single graphics must be adapted and text, if available, must be translated in separate text files (also by using translation memory systems).

 

Usually these files must be recreated using as basis the translated text.

 

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