System and method for managing translatable strings displayed on console interfaces

• US 7,177,793 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2002
• Issued: 02/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Thorpe, James, Salahshoor, Mohamad R., Hedstrom, Margaret M., Barker, Kevin S., Diller, John E., Persche, Carol J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorvil; Richemond
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vo; Huyen X.
• Application Number:
  US10/047,793
• Publication Number:
  US 20030135360A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,856 Days
• Field of Search: 704 7- 8, 704/1, 704/3, 704/5, 704/6, 704/9, 704/10, 704/257, 704/277
• US Class Current: 704/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/454 Multi-language systems; Localisation; Internationalisation

Abstract

NLS translations can be provided by extracting translatable strings from the management definition object, such as a CIM MOF file, and writing the strings into one or more translation files. A unique identifier is assigned to each translatable string. The identifier is included in the management definition object as well as the various translation files. By creating unique identifiers, a particular translated string can be found in one of the translation files. In this manner, different users can specify different languages. Display text is retrieved by retrieving the identifier located in the management definition object. The translation file corresponding to the user'"'"'s preferred language is then searched for the translated string. Translated strings can be gathered for display panels when the product is packaged. Translated strings can also be gathered at runtime when called for by a particular display panel or other display object.

Claims

1. A method of translating strings included in management definition data, said method comprising:

locating one or more display strings within a management definition data file;

copying each of the display strings from the management definition data file;

determining an identifier for each of the display strings;

writing the identifiers and the corresponding display strings to a translation template;

writing the identifier to the management definition data file;

translating the display strings written to the translation template to one or more national languages; and

generating runtime files, the runtime files including the translated display strings.

2. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

selecting a language from the one or more national languages;

invoking at least one of the runtime files; and

displaying the translated display strings corresponding to the selected language in response to the invoking.

3. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

reading a plug-in code file, wherein the plug-in code file is adapted to interface with a management console;

creating a resource bundle in response to determining that the management console supports resource bundles; and

writing translated display strings for a plurality of national languages to the resource bundle.

4. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

reading a plug-in code file, wherein the plug-in code file is adapted to interface with a management console;

creating a plurality of runtime files, each of the runtime files corresponding to one of the national languages; and

writing the translated display strings for each national language to one of the runtime files.

5. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the management definition data file includes a common information model managed object format file.

6. The method as described in claim 1 wherein at least one of the display strings is selected from the group consisting of a qualifier value, a display panel object, an element name, a menu item name, and a tree node name.

7. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory accessible by the processors;

a nonvolatile storage area accessible by the processors; and

a translation tool for translating strings from a management definition file stored on the nonvolatile storage device, the translation tool including;

search logic for locating one or more display strings within the management definition file;

transfer logic for copying each of the display strings from the management definition file;

identifier generation logic for determining an identifier for each of the display strings;

output logic for writing the identifiers and the corresponding display strings to a translation template;

output logic for writing the identifier to the management definition data file;

translation logic for translating the display strings written to the translation template to one or more national languages; and

file generation logic for generating runtime files, the runtime files including the translated display strings.

8. The information handling system as described in claim 7 further comprising:

selection logic for selecting a language from the one or more national languages;

dispatch logic for invoking at least one of the runtime files; and

display logic for displaying the translated display strings corresponding to the selected language in response to the invoking.

9. The information handling system as described in claim 7 further comprising:

input logic for reading a plug-in code file, wherein the plug-in code file is adapted to interface with a management console;

output logic for creating a resource bundle in response to determining that the management console supports resource bundles; and

output logic for writing translated display strings for a plurality of national languages to the resource bundle.

10. The information handling system as described in claim 7 further comprising:

input logic for reading a plug-in code file, wherein the plug-in code file is adapted to interface with a management console;

output logic for creating a plurality of runtime files, each of the runtime files corresponding to one of the national languages; and

output logic for writing the translated display strings for each national language to one of the runtime files.

11. The information handling system as described in claim 7 wherein the management definition file includes a common information model managed object format file.

12. The information handling system as described in claim 7 wherein at least one of the display strings is selected from the group consisting of a qualifier value, a display panel object, an element name, a menu item name, and a tree node name.

13. A computer program product stored on a computer readable medium for translating strings included in management definition data, said computer program product including program instructions that, when executed by a computer system, perform steps comprising:

locating one or more display strings within a management definition data file;

copying each of the display strings from the management definition data file;

determining an identifier for each of the display strings;

writing the identifiers and the corresponding display strings to a translation template;

writing the identifier to the management definition data file;

translating the display strings written to the translation template to one or more national languages; and

generating runtime files, the runtime files including the translated display strings.

14. The computer program product as described in claim 13 further comprising:

means for selecting a language from the one or more national languages;

means for invoking at least one of the runtime files; and

means for displaying the translated display strings corresponding to the selected language in response to the invoking.

15. The computer program product as described in claim 13 further comprising:

means for reading a plug-in code file, wherein the plug-in code file is adapted to interface with a management console;

means for creating a resource bundle in response to determining that the management console supports resource bundles; and

means for writing translated display strings for a plurality of national languages to the resource bundle.

16. The computer program product as described in claim 13 further comprising:

means for reading a plug-in code file, wherein the plug-in code file is adapted to interface with a management console;

means for creating a plurality of runtime files, each of the runtime files corresponding to one of the national languages; and

means for writing the translated display strings for each national language to one of the runtime files.

17. The computer program product as described in claim 13 wherein the management definition data file includes a common information model managed object format file.

18. The computer program product as described in claim 13 wherein at least one of the display strings is selected from the group consisting of a qualifier value, a display panel object, an element name, a menu item name, and a tree node name.

19. A method of translating strings included in management definition data, said method comprising:

locating one or more display strings within a management definition data file;

copying each of the display strings from the management definition data file;

determining an identifier for each of the display strings;

writing the identifiers and the corresponding display strings to a translation template;

writing the identifier to the management definition data file;

translating the display strings written to the translation template to one or more national languages; and

generating runtime files, the runtime files including the translated display strings.

20. A method of translating strings included in management definition data, said method comprising:

locating one or more display strings within a management definition data file, wherein the management definition data file includes a common information model managed object format file;

copying each of the display strings from the management definition data file;

determining an identifier for each of the display strings;

writing the identifiers and the corresponding display strings to a translation template;

writing the identifier to the management definition data file;

translating the display strings written to the translation template to one or more national languages;

generating runtime files, the runtime files including the translated display strings;

selecting a language from the one or more national languages;

invoking at least one of the runtime files; and

displaying the translated display strings corresponding to the selected language in response to the invoking.

21. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory accessible by the processors;

a nonvolatile storage area accessible by the processors; and

a translation tool for translating strings from a management definition file stored on the nonvolatile storage device, the translation tool including;

search logic for locating one or more display strings within the management definition file;

transfer logic for copying each of the display strings from the management definition file;

identifier generation logic for determining an identifier for each of the display strings;

output logic for writing the identifiers and the corresponding display strings to a translation template;

output logic for writing the identifier to the management definition data file;

translation logic for translating the display strings written to the translation template to one or more national languages; and

file generation logic for generating runtime files, the runtime files including the translated display strings.

22. A computer program product stored on a computer operable medium for translating strings included in management definition data, said computer program product comprising:

means for locating one or more display strings within a management definition data file;

means for copying each of the display strings from the management definition data file;

means for determining an identifier for each of the display strings;

means for writing the identifiers and the corresponding display strings to a translation template;

means for writing the identifier to the management definition data file;

means for translating the display strings written to the translation template to one or more national languages; and

means for generating runtime files, the runtime files including the translated display strings.