Method and system for automatic creation of multilingual immutable image files

• US 20030115552A1
• Filed: 11/26/2002
• Published: 06/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Cordes, Dietmar, Jahnke, Jorg, Fuhrmann, Nils
• Application Number:
  US10/303,819
• Publication Number:
  US 20030115552A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/536
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/40 Processing or translation of natural language natural language analysis G06F40/20; semantic analysis G06F40/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/454 Multi-language systems; Localisation; Internationalisation

Abstract

An improved translation system is provided that allows users to view screen objects of a user interface in different languages even though the screen object'"'"'s visual elements are stored in an immutable image file (e.g., .gif or bitmap). To accomplish this, a method and system automatically generate a number of immutable image files, each containing text in different languages. These files are then made available to users so that they may select a preferred language in which to view the screen objects of the user interface.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system for displaying screen objects in a plurality of different languages, each screen object having a text string in a first language, and an associated immutable image file, and associated display characteristics of the associated immutable image file, the method comprising the steps of:

translating the text strings into the plurality of different languages;

automatically generating a text string file containing the text strings in the different languages and desired locations in a directory structure;

using an image manipulation program to generate an immutable image file for each of the text strings in the text string file by using the text strings and the associated display characteristics; and

storing the generated immutable image files at the desired locations in a directory structure such that the different language of the text string in each of the immutable image files is indicated.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the associated immutable image file and the generated immutable image file includes a file in a format of at least one of .gif, bitmap (.bmp), .tiff, .jpg, .png, .xpm, .tga, .mpeg, .ps, .pdf, .pcx, and a graphic format.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the image manipulation program includes GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program).

4. A method in a data processing system for localizing an immutable image file containing text in a first language, the method comprising the steps of:

translating the text from the first language into a second language that is different from the first language; and

automatically generating a translated immutable image file containing the text in the second language.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of automatically generating further includes the step of initiating execution of a script in association with an image manipulation program, to instruct the image manipulation program to input the text in the second language and template information.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of storing the translated immutable image file at a desired location, wherein the desired location is determined based on location information provided as input to the image manipulation program by the script.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of accessing, by a user, the translated immutable image file stored at the desired location.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the template information includes at least one of image size, image shape, image color, position of a text element within the image for the translated immutable image file, and a previously generated immutable image file.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of automatically translating is performed by a translator program associated with a pretranslation database.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein the translated immutable image file includes a file in a format of at least one of .gif, bitmap (.bmp), .tiff, .jpg, .png, .xpm, .tga, .mpeg, .ps, .pdf, .pcx, and a graphic format.

11. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of identifying the text in the first language by parsing source code of a user interface program.

12. A data processing system for localizing an immutable image file containing text in a first language, comprising:

means for translating the text from the first language into a second language that is different from the first language; and

means for automatically generating a translated immutable image file containing the text in the second language.

13. A computer-readable medium encoded with instructions that cause a data processing system for localizing an immutable image file containing text in a first language to perform a method comprising the steps of:

translating the text from the first language into a second language that is different from the first language; and

automatically generating a translated immutable image file containing the text in the second language.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the step of automatically generating further includes the step of initiating execution of a script in association with an image manipulation program, to instruct the image manipulation program to input the text in the second language and template information.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises the step of storing the translated immutable image file at a desired location, wherein the desired location is determined based on location information provided as input to the image manipulation program by the script.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the template information includes at least one of image size, image shape, image color, and position of a text element within the image for the translated immutable image file, and a previously generated immutable image file.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the translated immutable image file includes a file in a format of at least one of .gif, bitmap (.bmp), .tiff, .jpg, .png, .xpm, .tga, .mpeg, .ps, .pdf, .pcx, and a graphic format.

18. A data processing system for localizing an immutable image file containing text in a first language, the system comprising:

a memory comprising an immutable image file creation system that translates the text from the first language into a second language that is different from the first language, and automatically generates a translated immutable image file containing the text in the second language; and

a processor for running the immutable image file creation system.

19. The data processing system of claim 18, wherein the step of automatically generating further includes the step of initiating execution of a script in association with an image manipulation program, to instruct the image manipulation program to input the text in the second language and template information.

20. The data processing system of claim 19, wherein the image file creation system further stores the translated immutable image file at a desired location, wherein the desired location is determined based on location information provided as input to the image manipulation program by the script.

21. The data processing system of claim 19, wherein the template information includes at least one of image size, image shape, image color, and position of a text element within the image for the translated immutable image file, and a previously generated immutable image file.

22. The data processing system of claim 18, wherein the translated immutable image file includes a file in a format of at least one of .gif, bitmap (.bmp), .tiff, .jpg, .png, .xpm, .tga, .mpeg, .ps, .pdf, .pcx, and a graphic format.