Methods and apparatus for integrated, automatic pseudo localization of software

• US 20070061789A1
• Filed: 09/05/2006
• Published: 03/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siebel Systems Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Siebel Systems Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Kaneko, Atsushi, Kedefors, Hans
• Granted Patent: US 8,615,732 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/140
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/454 Multi-language systems; Localisation; Internationalisation

Abstract

Methods and articles of manufacture for integrated, automatic pseudo localization of software applications are disclosed herein. A pseudo localization process, comprised of one or more utility applications, is integrated into a build cycle for a developing software application to generate pseudo-translated user-interface code as part of a build process. A build application may then generate a pseudo-language build of the developing software application and/or development database to enable testing and identification of internationalization defects that would prevent effective localization of the software product for the international market.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

integrating a pseudo localization process with a build process, wherein the pseudo localization process includes at least one pseudo localization utility application;

executing the at least one pseudo localization utility application to generate pseudo-translated locale-dependant code, wherein executing the at least one pseudo localization utility application includes;

(a) retrieving locale-dependant code from at least one storage location;

(b) altering an appearance of the locale-dependant code; and

(c) storing the altered locale-dependant code in at least one second storage location; and

generating a pseudo-language build with the pseudo-translated locale-dependant code.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

testing the pseudo-language build; and

identifying at least one internationalization bug.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the internationalization bug comprises a hard-coded string, a hard-coded format, or a hard-coded reference to a translation.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein identifying the at least one internationalization bug comprises discovering unaltered locale-dependant code in the user-interface.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein altering the appearance of the locale-dependant code comprises adding at least one prefix character to the locale-dependant code.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one prefix character comprises at least one multi-byte character.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one prefix character comprises at least one right-to-left character.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one prefix character comprises a prefix string including at least one multi-byte character and at least one right-to-left character.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one pseudo localization utility application comprises at least one server message specific utility, and the locale-dependant code comprises at least one server message.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one pseudo localization utility application comprises at least one repository string specific utility, and the locale-dependant code comprises at least one repository string.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one pseudo localization utility application comprises at least one resource file specific utility, and the locale-dependant code comprises at least one resource file.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one pseudo localization utility application comprises at least one utility application capable of retrieving or altering at least one element of user-interface code of a type selected from a group, including:

a server message, a repository string, a static UI file, and a seed data file.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the build process comprises a database build process, the at least one pseudo localization utility application comprises at least one seed data file specific utility, and the locale-dependant code comprises at least one seed data file.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the build process comprises a software build process.

15. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a machine-readable medium including instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to;

implement a pseudo localization process integrated with a build process, wherein the pseudo localization process includes at least one pseudo localization utility application;

execute the at least one pseudo localization utility application to generate pseudo-translated locale-dependant code, wherein executing the at least one pseudo localization utility application includes;

(a) retrieving locale-dependant code from at least one storage location;

(b) altering an appearance of the locale-dependant code; and

(c) storing the altered locale-dependant code in at least one second storage location; and

generate a pseudo-language build with the pseudo-translated locale-dependant code.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the machine-readable medium further includes instructions, which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

test the pseudo-language build; and

identify at least one internationalization bug.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein the internationalization bug comprises a hard-coded string, a hard-coded format, or a hard-coded reference to a translation.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein identifying the at least one internationalization bug comprises discovering unaltered locale-dependant code in the user-interface.

19-28. -28. (canceled)

29. A system, comprising:

a computer system having a processor, a memory, and an input/output device;

an executable build application, stored in the memory of the computer system, and configured, when executed by the processor, to generate a language-specific build; and

at least one executable pseudo localization utility application, stored in the memory of the computer system, and integrated with the build application to generate a pseudo-language, language-specific build, the at least one executable pseudo localization utility application configured, when executed by the processor, to retrieve locale-dependant code from at least one storage location, to alter an appearance of the locale-dependant code, and to store the altered locale-dependant code in at least one second storage location.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein altering the appearance of the locale-dependant code comprises adding at least one prefix character to the locale-dependant code.

31-39. -39. (canceled)