VALIDATING TRANSLATIONS OF EXTERNALIZED CONTENT FOR INCLUSION IN AN APPLICATION

• US 20110314451A1
• Filed: 06/16/2010
• Published: 12/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Baumann, Warren J., Bouz, Firas, Brown, Douglas S., Higginbotham, William M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,910,122 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/125
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44526 Plug-ins; Add-ons
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/454 Multi-language systems; Localisation; Internationalisation

Abstract

A method and system for validating translated files for inclusion in an application being developed. Translatable files having externalized content in a single base language are sent for translation into other languages. Translated files resulting from a translation of the translatable files are received. Each translated file is statically and dynamically validated to detect error(s). The static validation is based on comparing the translatable files to the translated files. The dynamic validation is based on a simulation of how a user interface of the application presents the externalized content, without including an actual presentation of the externalized content by the user interface. Modified translated files that correct the detected error(s) are received and provided for a presentation of the externalized content by the user interface.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of validating translated files for inclusion in an application being developed, comprising:

a computer system sending a single translation package having a plurality of translatable files in a single base language to a plurality of other computer systems for translation into a plurality of languages other than said base language, wherein said translatable files include externalized content that is external to code of said application being developed;

said computer system receiving a plurality of translated files in said plurality of languages, wherein said plurality of translated files is a result of translations of said translation package by said plurality of other computer systems, and wherein said translations provide one or more errors in said plurality of translated files;

a processor of said computer system determining said one or more errors in said plurality of translated files by statically validating each translated file of said plurality of translated files based on a comparison of said plurality of translatable files to said plurality of translated files and by dynamically validating each translated file of said plurality of translated files based on a simulation of how a user interface of said application presents said externalized content, wherein said simulation indicates syntax errors in said plurality of translated files without including a presentation of said externalized content by said user interface;

subsequent to said statically and dynamically validating, said computer system receiving a modification of said plurality of translated files, wherein said modification eliminates said one or more errors; and

said computer system providing said modification of said plurality of translated files for presentation of said externalized content by said user interface of said application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining said one or more errors by said statically validating includes identifying an entry in a translatable file of said plurality of translatable files that is not in a translated file of said plurality of translated files, and wherein said translated file is a translation of said translatable file.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining said one or more errors by said statically validating includes identifying an entry in a translated file of said plurality of translated files that is not in a translatable file of said plurality of translatable files, and wherein said translated file is a translation of said translatable file.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said statically validating includes:

determining whether each key included in entries in said plurality of translated files is matched with exactly one corresponding value; and

determining whether each value included in entries in said plurality of translated files is matched with exactly one corresponding key.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said statically validating includes determining whether one or more placeholders in said plurality of translated files are matched to one more corresponding placeholders in said plurality of translatable files.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining said one or more errors by said dynamically validating includes:

simulating a display of said externalized content by calling one or more functions included in said application, wherein said one or more functions are to be used by said application to display said externalized content by said user interface at runtime, and wherein said simulating by said calling said one or more functions does not include displaying said externalized content;

in response to said simulating, identifying one or more syntax errors in said plurality of translated files and determining each syntax error causes a corresponding call of a function of said one or more functions at runtime to fail; and

flagging one or more portions of said externalized content that are associated with said one or more syntax errors.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining said one or more errors by said dynamically validating includes:

presenting a graphical user interface (GUI) that displays entries of said plurality of translated files in proximity to corresponding entries of said plurality of translatable files; and

receiving and storing an identification of an error of said one or more errors based on a comparison, via said GUI, of said entries of said plurality of translated files against said entries of said plurality of translatable files.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising prior to said sending said translation package, identifying and correcting one or more errors in said plurality of translatable files in said translation package so that said translation package conforms to syntax rules of translation systems running on said other computer systems.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

subsequent to said receiving said plurality of translated files, reformatting said translated files to conform to requirements of said application;

subsequent to said receiving said plurality of translated files, renaming said translated files with unique corresponding file names, wherein a file name of said unique corresponding file names is a name of a translated file of said plurality of translated files, wherein a first portion of said file name indicates a language of said plurality of languages, a second portion of said file name optionally indicates a country of a plurality of countries, and a third portion of said file name optionally indicates a region of a plurality of regions, wherein said country or said country and said region specify a variant of said language;

generating a file structure; and

subsequent to said renaming, storing said plurality of translated files in said file structure, wherein said storing said plurality of translated files includes storing said translated file in a portion of said file structure identified by said first portion of said file name, optionally identified by said second portion of said file name, and optionally identified by said third portion of said file name.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a validation report that identifies said one or more errors in said plurality of translated files and that identifies locations of said one or more errors in said plurality of translated files; and

sending said plurality of translatable files, one or more translated files of said plurality of translated files, and said validation report to one or more other computer systems of said plurality of other computer systems, wherein said one or more errors are included in said one or more translated files, wherein said receiving said plurality of translated files includes receiving said one or more translated files from said one or more other computer systems, and wherein said receiving said modification of said plurality of translated files includes receiving a modification of said one or more translated files from said one or more other computer systems.

11. A computer system comprising a processor, a computer readable memory, a computer readable storage medium, and program instructions stored on said computer readable storage medium, said program instructions configured to be carried out by said processor via said computer readable memory to implement the method of claim 1.

12. A computer program product, comprising a computer readable storage medium having a computer readable program code stored therein, said computer readable program code containing instructions that when carried out by a processor of a computer system implement a method of validating translated files for inclusion in an application being developed, said method comprising the steps of:

sending a single translation package having a plurality of translatable files in a single base language to a plurality of other computer systems for translation into a plurality of languages other than said base language, wherein said translatable files include externalized content that is external to code of said application being developed;

receiving a plurality of translated files in said plurality of languages, wherein said plurality of translated files is a result of translations of said translation package by said plurality of other computer systems, and wherein said translations provide one or more errors in said plurality of translated files;

determining said one or more errors in said plurality of translated files by statically validating each translated file of said plurality of translated files based on a comparison of said plurality of translatable files to said plurality of translated files and by dynamically validating each translated file of said plurality of translated files based on a simulation of how a user interface of said application presents said externalized content, wherein said simulation indicates syntax errors in said plurality of translated files without including a presentation of said externalized content by said user interface;

subsequent to said statically and dynamically validating, receiving a modification of said plurality of translated files, wherein said modification eliminates said one or more errors; and

providing said modification of said plurality of translated files for presentation of said externalized content by said user interface of said application.

13. The program product of claim 12, wherein said determining said one or more errors by said statically validating includes identifying an entry in a translatable file of said plurality of translatable files that is not in a translated file of said plurality of translated files, and wherein said translated file is a translation of said translatable file.

14. The program product of claim 12, wherein said determining said one or more errors by said statically validating includes identifying an entry in a translated file of said plurality of translated files that is not in a translatable file of said plurality of translatable files, and wherein said translated file is a translation of said translatable file.

15. The program product of claim 12, wherein said statically validating includes:

determining whether each key included in entries in said plurality of translated files is matched with exactly one corresponding value; and

determining whether each value included in entries in said plurality of translated files is matched with exactly one corresponding key.

16. The program product of claim 12, wherein said statically validating includes determining whether one or more placeholders in said plurality of translated files are matched to one more corresponding placeholders in said plurality of translatable files.

17. The program product of claim 12, wherein said determining said one or more errors by said dynamically validating includes:

simulating a display of said externalized content by calling one or more functions included in said application, wherein said one or more functions are to be used by said application to display said externalized content by said user interface at runtime, and wherein said simulating by said calling said one or more functions does not include displaying said externalized content;

in response to said simulating, identifying one or more syntax errors in said plurality of translated files and determining each syntax error causes a corresponding call of a function of said one or more functions at runtime to fail; and

flagging one or more portions of said externalized content that are associated with said one or more syntax errors.

18. The program product of claim 12, wherein said determining said one or more errors by said dynamically validating includes:

presenting a graphical user interface (GUI) that displays entries of said plurality of translated files in proximity to corresponding entries of said plurality of translatable files; and

receiving and storing an identification of an error of said one or more errors based on a comparison, via said GUI, of said entries of said plurality of translated files against said entries of said plurality of translatable files.

19. A process for supporting computing infrastructure, said process comprising providing at least one support service for at least one of creating, integrating, hosting, maintaining, and deploying computer-readable code in a computer system comprising a processor, wherein the code, when carried out by said processor, causes the computer system to specify a method of validating translated files for inclusion in an application being developed, wherein said method comprises:

sending a single translation package having a plurality of translatable files in a single base language to a plurality of other computer systems for translation into a plurality of languages other than said base language, wherein said translatable files include externalized content that is external to code of said application being developed;

receiving a plurality of translated files in said plurality of languages, wherein said plurality of translated files is a result of translations of said translation package by said plurality of other computer systems, and wherein said translations provide one or more errors in said plurality of translated files;

a processor of said computer system determining said one or more errors in said plurality of translated files by statically validating each translated file of said plurality of translated files based on a comparison of said plurality of translatable files to said plurality of translated files and by dynamically validating each translated file of said plurality of translated files based on a simulation of how a user interface of said application presents said externalized content, wherein said simulation indicates syntax errors in said plurality of translated files without including a presentation of said externalized content by said user interface;

subsequent to said statically and dynamically validating, receiving a modification of said plurality of translated files, wherein said modification eliminates said one or more errors; and

providing said modification of said plurality of translated files for presentation of said externalized content by said user interface of said application.

20. The process of claim 19, wherein said determining said one or more errors by said dynamically validating includes:

simulating a display of said externalized content by calling one or more functions included in said application, wherein said one or more functions are to be used by said application to display said externalized content by said user interface at runtime, and wherein said simulating by said calling said one or more functions does not include displaying said externalized content;

in response to said simulating, identifying one or more syntax errors in said plurality of translated files and determining each syntax error causes a corresponding call of a function of said one or more functions at runtime to fail; and

flagging one or more portions of said externalized content that are associated with said one or more syntax errors.