Mock translation system, method, and program using multi-byte placeholder characters to test translatability of software that will display multi-byte languages

• US 6,453,462 B1
• Filed: 06/29/1999
• Issued: 09/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Keiichi, Ross, Joseph C., Meade, Elizabeth Carol, Monson, Jerald Lee, Rojas, Francis Xavier
• Primary Examiner(s): Morse, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAS, CHAMELI
• Application Number:
  US09/342,432
• Time in Patent Office: 1,176 Days
• Field of Search: 717/5, 717/8, 717/7, 717/136, 717/139, 717/143, 717/124, 707/535, 707/536, 704/2, 704/3, 704/7, 704/8, 704/9, 704/10
• US Class Current: 717/124
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3672 Test management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/454 Multi-language systems; Localisation; Internationalisation

Abstract

A mock translation system, method, and program is provided which converts single-byte base-language data and performs a mock translation on it to produce internationalization test data, which incorporates double-byte expansion characters having a second byte as “5C”, such as a double wide dash character. These expansion characters are used as a placeholder to accommodate the additional space needed for later translating the text into a different language. In addition, field boundary characters, such as brackets, are used to designate the beginning and end of the text with the placeholders. This data is stored in localization files and displayed in a software application in place of the English or foreign-language text. By visually inspecting each screen, the programmer or proofreader is able to easily recognize many internationalization errors, without requiring the ability to read any foreign language. These errors include truncation, alignment, or other formatting errors, and programming errors such as text that is hard-coded, localization files missing from the program build, text missing from localization files, and text composed of more than one translated message. Double-byte processing errors are also made evident if a back slash having a “5C” single-byte code appears in the displayed text in place of a double-wide dash character.

Claims

1. A method for testing a software program, comprising:

reading a first textual data in a first language for the software program in a first language;

prefixing the first textual data with a plurality of placeholder characters, selected from a double-byte character set, where the second byte is “

5C”

, to produce a desired field length to accommodate a language translation from the first language to a second language, thereby producing a second textual data;

storing the second textual data in a machine-readable form; and

displaying the second textual data in place of the first textual data on a computer display when the software program is executed thereby enabling a visual inspection of the display of the second textual data for identifying internationalization errors represented by an incorrect display of the first textual data prefixed by the plurality of placeholder characters.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the placeholder characters are double-wide dash characters.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the textual data is comprised of a single-byte character set.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the machine-readable form is a localization file on a computer storage medium.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the field length is in accordance with guidelines for internationalization.

6. A method for testing a software program, comprising:

reading translatable text in a first language from the software program into a computer memory;

prefixing the translatable text, in the computer memory, with a plurality of double-byte placeholder characters having a second byte as “

5C”

, to produce a desired allocated field length to accommodate a translation of the translatable text to a second language;

embracing inserting specific characters at the beginning and end of the prefixed translatable text to indicate field boundaries of the prefixed translatable text, thereby producing mock-translated text;

storing the mock-translated text in machine-readable form, and

displaying the mock-translated text during execution of the software program thereby enabling a visual inspection of the displayed mock-translated text for errors represented by an incorrect display of the prefixed and embraced translatable text.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the field-boundary characters are double-byte square brackets.

8. A computer system having at least a processor, accessible memory, and an accessible display, the computer system comprising:

means for reading translatable text in a first language from a software program into the memory;

means for prefixing the translatable text, in the computer memory, with a plurality of double-byte placeholder characters having a second byte as “

5C”

, to produce a desired allocated field length to accommodate a translation of the translatable text to a second language;

means for embracing specific characters at the beginning and the end of the prefixed translatable text to indicate field boundaries of the prefixed translatable text thereby producing mock-translated text;

means for storing the mock-translated text in machine-readable form; and

means for displaying the mock-translated text during execution of the software program thereby enabling a visual inspection of the displayed mock-translated text for errors represented by an incorrect display of the prefixed and embraced translatable text.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the double-byte placeholder characters are double-wide dashes.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the specific characters are double-byte square brackets.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the displayed mock-translated text indicates a hard-coded test string error if the text string is displayed without placeholder characters and beginning and end field boundary characters.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the displayed mock-translated text indicates and expansion error if at least the end field boundary character is missing.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the displayed mock-translated text indicates a composed piecemeal text error if the displayed text has placeholder characters interposed within the text.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the displayed mock-translated text comprises a backslash within the placeholder characters.

15. A computer program product having computer readable program code on a computer usable medium, comprising:

instructions for adding, to translatable text in a first language from a second software program, a plurality of double-byte placeholder characters having a second byte as “

5C”

, to produce a desired field length to accommodate a translation of the translatable text to a second language;

instructions for embracing, with specific double-byte characters to indicate field boundaries, the beginning and end of the translatable text with the added placeholder characters thereby producing mock-translated test;

instructions for enabling a storing of the mock-translated text in machine-readable form; and

instructions for enabling a display of the mock-translated text during execution of the second software program thereby enabling a visual inspection of the displayed mock-translated text for errors represented by an incorrect display of the prefixed and embraced translatable text.