Method and system for automatically identifying and marking subsets of localizable resources

• US 20060130026A1
• Filed: 01/24/2005
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Farrell, Terry, Ahs, David, Grimes, Robert, Falkena, Jan-Roelof, McHugh, Barry, Soloveitchik, Alexei
• Granted Patent: US 7,716,641 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/141
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• 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

Embodiments of the present invention relate to methods, systems and computer-readable media for identifying a safe set of resources that can be used for localization of a software product. This identification involves loading and running a base product having one or more calls to an operating system (or an API) to load language specific data. The resource calls are intercepted after the resource is loaded into a resource loader, and information about the resource is captured for analysis. The display of resources is also intercepted to gather data on which resources are displayed and the context of this display. The process involves running automated tests and/or manual tests on the base product in its base language to identify those resources that are most frequently used, least often or never used, and those that are unsafe. These resources so identified are then analyzed to generate a safe secure resource list that can then be used for external localization of the software product.

Claims

1. A method of using runtime data to build a resource list for use in localization of a software product comprising:

performing one or more automated tests or manual tests on an application running on an operating system;

intercepting resources as they are loaded into a resource loader by one of running application or operating system;

capturing information on the resources as the resources are loaded by the application or operating system during the tests;

analyzing the information to determine frequently used resources and which resources are never loaded; and

generating the resource list from including most frequently used resources and excluding the resources never loaded.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

capturing information on displayed resources; and

analyzing the displayed resource data to determine most frequently displayed resources and those resources never displayed.

3. The method according to claim 2 further comprising analyzing the data to determine unsafe resources.

4. The method according to claim 2 further comprising

capturing information on contextual display of resources;

and

tracing loaded strings by using string modification.

5. The method according to claim 4 further comprising generating a list of resource identifiers and strings from the analyzing operations.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the captured information is obtained by intercepting resources as they are called.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein the generating includes generating a list or resource identifiers and strings from the analyzing operations.

8. The method according to claim 7 further comprising analyzing the data to determine unsafe resources.

9. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled with and readable by the processor and containing a series of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

run an application on an operating system;

perform one or more tests on the application;

capture information on loaded resources as the resources are called by the application or operating system during the tests;

analyze the information to identify resources used and resources displayed; and

generate a resource list from including the used resources and displayed resources.

10. The system according to claim 9 wherein the instructions cause the processor to

capture information on resources that are never displayed;

and

capture information on resources that are never used.

11. The system according to claim 9 wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

analyze the displayed resource data to determine most frequently displayed resources; and

those resources never displayed.

12. The system according to claim 11 wherein the instructions further cause the processor to analyze the information to identify unsafe resources.

13. The system according to claim 9 wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

capture information on contextual display of resources; and

trace loaded strings by using string modification.

14. The system according to claim 9 wherein the instructions further cause the processor to generate a list of resource identifiers and strings from the analyzing operations.

15. A computer readable medium encoding a computer program of instructions for executing a computer process for determining a resource list for use in localization, said computer process comprising:

running one of an application, data or an operating system wherein one of the application, the data or the operating system places one or more calls to a resource loader to load a resource;

performing one or more automated tests or manual tests on the application;

intercepting the resource in the resource loader after the called resource has been received in the loader;

capturing information on the resource during the tests;

analyzing the information to determine frequently used resources and determine which resources are not being loaded; and

generating the resource list from including most frequently used resources and excluding the resources not loaded.

16. The medium according to claim 15 wherein the computer process further comprises:

capturing information on contextual display of the resources; and

analyzing the information to determine unsafe resources.

17. The medium according to claim 16 wherein the computer process further comprises:

generating a list of resource identifiers and strings from the analyzing operations.

18. The medium according to claim 17 wherein the computer process further comprises tracing loaded strings by using string modification.