System, program, and method for performing contextual software translations

• US 6,311,151 B1
• Filed: 07/28/1999
• Issued: 10/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kumhyr, David Bruce, Yamamoto, Keiichi, Yu, Kin Hung, Yates, Stanford Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): EDOUARD, PATRICK NESTOR
• Application Number:
  US09/362,617
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• Field of Search: 704/2-7, 704/8, 707/530, 707/536, 707/513, 717/1, 717/4, 717/8
• US Class Current: 704/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/454 Multi-language systems; Localisation; Internationalisation

Abstract

A system, method, and program for providing language translators with contextual information for the text to be translated. The translator is presented with a graphical user interface in the base language, and can then interactively translate each text label on the screen. Because the translation is performed on the text in the proper context, the time and expense of Translation Verification Testing is reduced or eliminated. The contextual presentation of the text is accomplished by storing contextual information in localization files, along with the text to be translated. When the translation tool is run, it retrieves both the text to be translated and the contextual information from the localization files, and uses this information to create a GUI display which is similar to that of the original program. The translator can then translate the text in the proper context, and the translation is stored to disk.

Claims

1. A method for editing textual data for a software program, comprising:

storing a first textual data for a non-data, user interaction portion of a user interface, together with associated contextual data identifying a location and display form for the first textual data within the user interface, separately from functional components for a software program utilizing the user interface;

utilizing the first textual data and the associated contextual data to generate a display of the user interface, wherein the display includes the first textual data displayed according to the contextual data;

receiving a second textual data to substitute for the first textual data as an input from a user while the user interface is being displayed;

storing the second textual data in a form enabling a subsequent display of the user interface with the second textual data in place of the first textual data when the software program is executed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the form in which the second textual data is stored is a localization file on a computer storage medium.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second textual data is a translation of the first textual data from a first human language to a second human language.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the contextual data includes graphical user interface object data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the contextual information includes graphical user interface object data for a user interface display object containing the first textual data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the contextual data includes a reference to a Java resource bundle containing the first textual data and a key associated with the first textual data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the display of the user interface generated utilizing the first textual data and the associated contextual data includes the first textual data as the first textual data appears when the software program is executed.

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

means for storing a first textual data for a non-data, user interaction portion of a user interface, together with associated contextual data identifying a location and display form for the first textual data within the user interface, separately from functional components for a software program utilizing the user interface;

means for utilizing the first textual data and the associated contextual data to generate a display of the user interface, wherein the display includes the first textual data displayed according to the contextual data;

means for receiving a second textual data to substitute for the first textual data as an input from a user while the user interface is being displayed;

means for storing the second textual data in a form enabling a subsequent display of the user interface with the second textual data in place of the first textual data when the software program is executed.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the form in which the second textual data is stored is a localization file on a computer storage medium.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the second textual data is a translation of the first textual data from a first human language to a second human language.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the contextual data includes Java component information.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the contextual data includes a reference to a Java resource bundle containing the first textual data.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the contextual data includes a key associated with the first textual data.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the display of the user interface generated utilizing the first textual data and the associated contextual data includes the first textual data as the first textual data appears when the software program is executed.

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

instructions for storing a first textual data for a non-data, user interaction portion of a user interface, together with associated contextual data identifying a location and display form for the first textual data within the user interface, separately from functional components for a software program utilizing the user interface;

means for utilizing the first textual data and the associated contextual data to generate a display of the user interface, wherein the display includes the first textual data displayed according to the contextual data;

means for receiving a second textual data to substitute for the first textual data as an input from a user while the user interface is being displayed;

means for storing the second textual data in a form enabling a subsequent display of the user interface with the second textual data in place of the first textual data when the software program is executed.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the form in which the second textual data is stored is a localization file on a computer storage medium.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the second textual data is a translation of the first textual data from a first human language to a second human language.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the contextual data includes Java component information.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the contextual data includes a reference to a Java resource bundle containing the first textual data.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the contextual data includes a key associated with the first textual data.

21. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the display of the user interface generated utilizing the first textual data and the associated contextual data includes the first textual data as the first textual data appears when the software program is executed.