Method and apparatus for translating computer programs

• US 7,536,294 B1
• Filed: 01/08/2002
• Issued: 05/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Rice, Jason Michael, Stanz, Brian Carl
• Primary Examiner(s): Lerner; Martin
• Application Number:
  US10/042,658
• Time in Patent Office: 2,688 Days
• Field of Search: 704/1, 704/2, 704/3, 704/5, 704/7, 704/8, 704/9, 715/536, 707/203, 717/136, 717/137
• US Class Current: 704/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/454 Multi-language systems; Localisation; Internationalisation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for facilitating the translation of computer programs from a source natural language into one or more target natural languages are provided. According to the present invention, development of a source computer program may proceed in parallel with translation of the source computer program into one or more target languages. According to the present invention, status records are updated from time to time, so that a complete and accurate translation of the source program into the target language or languages is obtained.

Claims

1. A method of developing multiple natural language versions of software, the method comprising:

providing a first iteration of a computer program, wherein the computer program comprises natural language portions of source text in a first natural language;

providing an interface for a translator to provide a translation of at least some of the natural language portions of the source text into a second natural language, wherein the providing of the interface for the translator is configured to allow the translator to translate the natural language portions of the source text in parallel with the development of the source text of the computer program;

displaying, for the translator, within a first graphical display window of the interface, a first version of the natural language potions of the source text of the computer program in the first natural language, the first graphical display window displaying the source text in the first natural language as it will appear in the first version of the computer program;

displaying, for the translator, within a second graphical display window of the interface, a second version of the natural language portions of the computer program in the second natural language, the second graphical display window comprising the translation of the source text in the second natural language as it will appear in the second version of the computer program;

receiving modifications to the natural language portions of the source text;

based on the received modifications to the natural language portions of the source text, updating an update status table, wherein the update status table includes a record of the modifications made to the natural language portions of the source text;

displaying, for the translator, within a third graphical display window of the interface the updated status table to indicate the modifications made to the natural language portions of the source text, wherein the first, second, and third graphical display windows are simultaneously displayed in the interface; and

receiving translation of the modified portions of the natural language portions of the source text from the first natural language to the second natural language.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first display screen and the second display screen are displayed simultaneously.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a first component of the computer program comprises the source text in the first natural language, wherein the second version of the computer program is a target software program, and wherein providing an interface for the translator to provide a translation of at least some of the source text into a second natural language comprises providing for the translation of the first component of the software program into the second natural language to produce a translated first component, such that the translated first component is part of the target software program.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining a translation status of the first component; and

after providing for the translation of the of the first component, updating a translation status of the first component.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring development of the computer program, wherein the interface is provided for the translator in response to detection of a revision of the computer program.

6. A system for developing multiple natural language versions of software, the system comprising:

a processor;

a storage device in communication with the processor; and

a set of instructions executable by the processor, the set of instructions comprising;

instructions for providing a first iteration of a computer program, wherein the computer program comprises natural language portions of source text in a first natural language;

instructions for providing an interface for a translator to provide a translation of at least some of the natural language portions of the source text into a second natural language, wherein the providing of the interface for the translator is configured to allow the translator to translate the natural language portions of the source text in parallel with the development of the source text of the computer program;

instructions for displaying, for the translator, within a first graphical display window of the interface, a first version of the natural language potions of the source text of the computer program in the first natural language, the first graphical display window displaying the source text in the first natural language as it will appear in the first version of the computer program;

instructions for displaying, for the translator, within a second graphical display window of the interface, a second version of the natural language portions of the computer program in the second natural language, the second graphical display window comprising the translation of the source text in the second natural language as it will appear in the second version of the computer program;

instructions for receiving modifications to the natural language portions of the source text;

instructions for based on the received modifications to the natural language portions of the source text, updating an update status table, wherein the update status table includes a record of the modifications made to the natural language portions of the source text;

instructions for displaying, for the translator, within a third graphical display window of the interface the updated status table to indicate the modifications made to the natural language portions of the source text, wherein the first second, and third graphical display windows are simultaneously displayed in the interface; and

instructions for receiving translation of the modified portions of the natural language portions of the source text from the first natural language to the second natural language.

7. A computer-readable medium comprising a set of instructions stored thereon, executable by one or more computers, the set of instructions comprising:

instructions for providing a first iteration of a computer program, wherein the computer program comprises natural language portions of source text in a first natural language;

instructions for providing an interface for a translator to provide a translation of at least some of the natural language portions of the source text into a second natural language, wherein the providing of the interface for the translator is-configured to allow the translator to translate the natural language portions of the source text in parallel with the development of the source text of the computer program;

instructions for displaying, for the translator, within a first graphical display window of the interface, a first version of the natural language potions of the source text of the computer program in the first natural language, the first graphical display window displaying the source text in the first natural language as it will appear in the first version of the computer program;

instructions for displaying, for the translator, within a second graphical display window of the interface, a second version of the natural language portions of the computer program in the second natural language, the second graphical display window comprising the translation of the source text in the second natural language as it will appear in the second version of the computer program;

instructions for receiving modifications to the natural language portions of the source text;

instructions for based on the received modifications to the natural language portions of the source text, updating an update status table, wherein the update status table includes a record of the modifications made to the natural language portions of the source text;

instructions for displaying, for the translator, within a third graphical display window of the interface the updated status table to indicate the modifications made to the natural language portions of the source text, wherein the first, second, and third graphical display windows are simultaneously displayed in the interface; and

instructions for receiving translation of the modified portions of the natural language portions of the source text from the first natural language to the second natural language.

8. A system, comprising:

means for providing a first iteration of a computer program, wherein the computer program comprises natural language portions of source text in a first natural language;

means for providing an interface for a translator to provide a translation of at least some of the natural language portions of the source text into a second natural language, wherein the providing of the interface for the translator is configured to allow the translator to translate the natural language portions of the source text in parallel with the development of the source text of the computer program;

means for displaying, for the translator, within a first graphical display window of the interface, a first version of the natural language potions of the source text of the computer program in the first natural language, the first graphical display window displaying the source text in the first natural language as it will appear in the first version of the computer program;

means for displaying, for the translator, within a second graphical display window of the interface, a second version of the natural language portions of the computer program in the second natural language, the second graphical display window comprising the translation of the source text in the second natural language as it will appear in the second version of the computer program;

means for receiving modifications to the natural language portions of the source text;

means for based on the received modifications to the natural language portions of the source text, updating an update status table, wherein the update status table includes a record of the modifications made to the natural language portions of the source text;

means for displaying, for the translator, within a third graphical display window of the interface the updated status table to indicate the modifications made to the natural language portions of the source text, wherein the first, second, and third graphical display windows are simultaneously displayed in the interface; and

means for receiving translation of the modified portions of the natural language portions of the source text from the first natural language to the second natural language.