Editing platforms for remote user interface translation

• US 20020147750A1
• Filed: 04/05/2001
• Published: 10/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kumhyr, David Bruce, Yamamoto, Keiichi, Yu, Kin Hung
• Granted Patent: US 6,904,563 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/530
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/47 Machine-assisted translation, e.g. using translation memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/58 Use of machine translation, e.g. for multi-lingual retrieval, for server-side translation for client devices or for real-time translation

Abstract

Techniques for editing the text displayed by a computer program are disclosed. The present invention allows a translator to translate the text with minimal assistance from software developers or programmers. In one embodiment the text may be edited in its on-screen context without the editing user (or translator) having access to the actual program. In a second embodiment, an execution session of a software developer or programmer may be “recorded.” An editor or translator can then “play back” the execution session using a scripting shell and an executable of the program, “pause” the session at appropriate places, and make onscreen changes to the text.

Claims

1. A method for editing text used in a user interface of a computer program, comprising the steps of:

receiving contextual information describing a visual context for the computer program'"'"'s generation of the text;

receiving the text from a first user interface text storage format;

combining the contextual information with the text to form a visual representation of a display in the user interface; and

displaying the visual representation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

receiving editing instructions to edit the text; and

based on the editing instructions, generating new text.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

storing the new text in a second user interface text storage format.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user interface text storage format is a catalog file.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user interface text storage format is a resource bundle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the contextual information includes graphical user interface (GUI) rendering information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer program is written in Java.

8. A method for generating an editable representation of a user interface in an executing computer program, comprising the steps of:

detecting when the executing computer program generates a user interface feature; and

recording a description of the user interface feature.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of:

associating the description with an item of text in a user interface text storage format.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the description includes information regarding the rendering of the user interface feature.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the user interface is a graphical user interface (GUI).

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the user interface text storage format is a resource bundle.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the executing computer program is written in Java.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of:

responsive to a user input, suspending execution of the reproducing step.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of:

responsive to a second user input, resuming the execution of the reproducing step.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the system events include at least one of a keystroke, a mouse click, a mouse double-click, and a mouse drag.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising instructions for:

receiving editing instructions to edit the text; and

based on the editing instructions, generating new text.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising instructions for:

storing the new text in a second user interface text storage format.

21. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the first user interface text storage format is a catalog file.

22. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the first user interface text storage format is a resource bundle.

23. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the contextual information includes graphical user interface (GUI) rendering information.

24. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the computer program is written in Java.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, further comprising instructions for:

associating the description with an item of text in a user interface text storage format.

27. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the description includes information regarding the rendering of the user interface feature.

28. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the user interface is a graphical user interface (GUI).

29. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the user interface text storage format is a resource bundle.

30. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the executing computer program is written in Java.

14. A method for editing text used in a user interface of a computer program, comprising the steps of:

receiving a sequential record of system events that occurred during an execution session of the computer program;

executing an executable of the computer program, wherein the executable contains an introspective editor; and

reproducing the system events from the sequential record to control execution of the executable.

18. A computer program product, in a computer-readable medium, for editing text used in a user interface of a computer program, comprising instructions for:

receiving contextual information describing a visual context for the computer program'"'"'s generation of the text;

receiving the text from a first user interface text storage format;

combining the contextual information with the text to form a visual representation of a display in the user interface; and

displaying the visual representation.

25. A computer program product, in a computer-readable medium, for generating an editable representation of a user interface in an executing computer program, further comprising instructions for:

detecting when the executing computer program generates a user interface feature; and

recording a description of the user interface feature.

31. A computer program product, in a computer-readable medium, for editing text used in a user interface of a computer program, further comprising instructions for:

receiving a sequential record of system events that occurred during an execution session of the computer program;

executing an executable of the computer program, wherein the executable contains an introspective editor; and

reproducing the system events from the sequential record to control execution of the executable.

32. The computer program product of claim 31, further comprising instructions for:

responsive to a user input, suspending execution of the instructions for reproducing.

33. The computer program product of claim 32, further comprising instructions for:

responsive to a second user input, resuming the execution of the instructions for reproducing.

34. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the system events include at least one of a keystroke, a mouse click, a mouse double-click, and a mouse drag.

36. The data processing system of claim 35, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to perform the additional acts of:

receiving editing instructions to edit the text; and

based on the editing instructions, generating new text.

37. The data processing system of claim 36, wherein the data processing system executes the set of instructions to perform the additional act of:

storing the new text in a second user interface text storage format.

38. The data processing system of claim 35, wherein the first user interface text storage format is a catalog file.

39. The data processing system of claim 35, wherein the first user interface text storage format is a resource bundle.

40. The data processing system of claim 35, wherein the contextual information includes graphical user interface (GUI) rendering information.

41. The data processing system of claim 35, wherein the program is written in Java.

35. A data processing system executing a program that displays text, the data processing system comprising:

a bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes a set of instructions; and

a processing unit, wherein the processing unit includes at least one processor,

wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to perform the acts of;

receiving contextual information describing a visual context for the program'"'"'s generation of the text;

receiving the text from a first user interface text storage format;

combining the contextual information with the text to form a visual representation of a display in the user interface; and

displaying the visual representation.

42. A data processing system to generate an editable representation of a user interface in an executing program, the data processing system comprising:

a bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes a set of instructions; and

a processing unit, wherein the processing unit includes at least one processor,

wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to perform the acts of;

detecting when the executing program generates a user interface feature; and

recording a description of the user interface feature.

43. The data processing system of claim 42, wherein the data processing system executes the set of instructions to perform the additional act of:

associating the description with an item of text in a user interface text storage format.

44. The data processing system of claim 42, wherein the description includes information regarding the rendering of the user interface feature.

45. The data processing system of claim 42, wherein the user interface is a graphical user interface (GUI).

46. The data processing system of claim 42, wherein the user interface text storage format is a resource bundle.

47. The data processing system of claim 42, wherein the executing program is written in Java.

49. The data processing system of claim 48, wherein the data processing system executes the set of instructions to perform the additional act of:

responsive to a user input, suspending execution of the instructions for reproducing.

50. The data processing system of claim 49, wherein the data processing system executes the set of instructions to perform the additional act of:

responsive to a second user input, resuming the execution of the instructions for reproducing.

51. The data processing system of claim 48, wherein the system events include at least one of a keystroke, a mouse click, a mouse double-click, and a mouse drag.

48. A data processing system to edit text used in a user interface of a program, the data processing system comprising:

a bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes a set of instructions; and

a processing unit, wherein the processing unit includes at least one processor,

wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to perform the acts of;

receiving a sequential record of system events that occurred during an execution session of the program;

executing an executable of the program, wherein the executable contains an introspective editor; and

reproducing the system events from the sequential record to control execution of the executable.