JPH08123695A - Translation method of computer program language - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make it clear which part is not to be translated by checking the indicator of a resource, trying to take out the pertinent resource from respective language libraries when the indicators which can be translated into the respective languages exist and using the basic language resource that is not translated, which is stored in a basic language library, when they do not exist in the respective language libraries. SOLUTION: The resource which is not translated is kept in a main execution possible part 15 or client DLL 17. A separated respective languages support NLSDLL 19 is directly linked to the main execution possible part or it is subordinate to non-translation DLL. At least, one basic language DLL 23 and at least one translated language DLL 21 exist for respective original DLL using the resource which can be translated and execution possible programs under NLSDLL 19. Thus, the necessary resource of the respective languages support is clearly separated from the unnecessary resource, and the translation work of the translation necessary resource to the respective languages is made easy.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to the field of graphic user interfaces for computer systems (hereinafter abbreviated as "GUI" for Graphical User Interface), and more particularly to GUs.
It relates to a method of translating textual and graphical information presented by I from one language to another.

[0002]

GUIs are well known. GUI
Provides a combination of text and graphic information to a user of a computer system, greatly facilitating operation of the computer system. The GUI has come to dominate the computer industry. The GUI operates at the system level to facilitate access to all system resources, or operates at the program level to assist the use of the program.

The same GUI cannot be used in every country because the language changes from country to country and the meaning of visual symbols also changes. It is necessary to translate the GUI text and graphic information into the language of each country in which it is used.

The need for such a conversion is known and several methods have been used to perform such a conversion. Typically, the program first
Be "globalized". This means that the strings that need to be translated are stored in a separate area (usually a resource file that can be translated). Localization is the process of translating these strings into a new language.

Internationalization and nationalization of programs is a restatement of a problem rather than a solution to the problem. In addition to text strings, there are many resources, including icons, bitmaps, dialog boxes, and other user-visible items, which may also need to be translated into national languages. Some resources are not visible to the user, and some should never be localized because changes make the program inoperable. Decoupling all the resources that need conversion into one large area does not lead to a simplification of the task of translating them. Also, when the program is updated and modified, the updated new resource is only available in the original language, even if the resource was translated into a particular language. If the user only has access to translated resources, the new untranslated resources cannot be used in any form.

In the Microsoft Windows system environment, national language support (hereinafter National or Nat
There is a special problem with IVE Language Support (referred to as NLS). The computer code that makes up Windows is the main executable part (main exe).
cutable portion) and dynamic binding library (hereinafter Dynam
ic Linked Libraries is an acronym for DLL). The DLL is loaded when the program is executed. In this system environment, DLL
Both the main executable part and the main executable part must be localized. The resource file may indicate whether it needs nationalization, but it does not have to.

[0007]

What is needed is a way to clarify which parts of the GUI have to be translated into one language and which parts do not have to be translated. There is also a need for a simple way to do the necessary translation.

[0008]

The first preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a method for localizing an application program running on a Microsoft Windows platform. In the present invention, NL
A layer called S DLL is added on top of the Windows interface. All program resources are divided into localized and non-nationalized resources. An indicator is attached to each resource indicating the nationalized or non-localized resource status. Localization resources are basic language D
Stored in LL. Non-localized resources are stored directly in the DLL or main executable.

The base language DLL contains all and only resources that require nationalization. For each newly supported language, a national language DLL containing translated versions of the resources contained in the base language DLL is created. The base language DLL serves as a backup for the national language DLL. If the resource indicating that the indicator has been nationalized cannot be found in the national language DLL, the corresponding resource in the base language DLL can be retrieved and used. Loading each resource from the correct DLL is NL
It is the responsibility of S DLL.

Operationally, each call to a resource checks the indicator of the resource via the NLS DLL. If the indicator indicates that the resource is localized, the system first looks for the resource in the national language DLL. If it cannot find one, the system looks in the base language DLL. The basic language DLL, although expressed in the basic language, must always have the desired resources by default.

[0011]

EXAMPLES For the purposes of the description herein, "language" means the language spoken or written in everyday life. It can also include written graphic information. Languages used by computers such as COBOL and C are called computer languages to distinguish them from the above languages.

A first preferred embodiment of the present invention is on a computer system using a DOS operating system running at least a Windows GUI program, or a Windows operating system and at least one other application program. Operate. This example includes a method of translating textual and graphical information presented to a user by a GUI from a first language to at least one other language.

Before the invention can be used, the application program is examined across all lines. Every resource has a name or number indicator. Resources that have to be translated (eg error
The message) is labeled. The labeling method used in the preferred embodiment of the present invention attaches a fence value to each resource accessed by a number. Untranslated resources remain in the original DLL or application and are given a value less than the fence value. In this example, the fence value is 1600.
0. All translated resources are given a value greater than 16,000. For resources accessed by name, if the resource is not translated, prefix the name with which the resource is called with "NONL_".

Non-translated resources are kept in the original group of DLLs or in the main executable part of the program.
The use of these libraries is transparent to system users. In FIG. 1, the non-translated resources are held in the main executable part 15 or the client DLL 17.
A separate National Language Support ("NLS") DLL contains the operative program routines of the present invention. This NLS
DLL19 is linked directly to the main executable,
Or, it is subordinate to the non-translation DLL 17.

Under the NLS DLL 19, at least one base language DLL 23 for each original DLL and executable program that uses translatable resources.
And there is one first translated language DLL21. The base language DLL contains resources that are represented in the base language and can be translated. Translated language DLL is the basic language D
It contains at least some translated versions of the LL resources. The base language DLL serves as a backup for the translated language DLL. If the resource that was supposed to be translated cannot be found in the translated language DLL, then it can be accessed in the base language DLL.

The base language DLL contains all and only the information that needs conversion. The process for accomplishing this conversion is simple. Use any of the many known resource editing tools and use a specially designed "renaming" program to rename the resource to suit the new language. The new translated resource test is
This is done by loading it on the operating system and then calling.

In operation, calls to all resources always go to the NLS DLL, which
A check is made to see if it has the LS prefix or a number greater than 16,000 (start block 10 of FIG. 2).
0 and step 200). If it does not have either, the system looks for the resource in the main DLL (step 105). If the resource has the NLS prefix, or is greater than the fence value of 16,000 in this example, then the resource is translatable and at least not owned by the base language DLL. I won't. Based on the flag value supplied by the Windows program, the NLS DLL first searches the translated language DLL for the resource (step 103).
And step 107). If the resource has not yet been translated, or if it cannot be found in the translated DLL of the desired language (step 10).
9), the system searches for and loads the base language DLL as a default (step 111). Step 109
Even if the loading fails because the DLL of the desired language does not have the resource, if the basic language resource is not different from the desired language resource, the operation of the present embodiment ends at end block 120. Similarly, if the resource was found in the main DLL in step 105, after loading the resource, the operation ends at end block 120.

For DLLs or executable programs with multiple resources, the invention is modified to divide these resources into sections called additional resource DLLs. The operation of the present invention when such an additional resource DLL is present is shown in FIG. After the start block 200, in step 201 the resource value is compared to the fence value. If the resource value is less than or equal to the fence value, the desired resource is Step 2
Block 05 fetched from main DLL, operation ends block 2
It ends at 20. If the resource value is greater than the fence value,
A second test is performed at step 203 to determine if the resource value is in the range of additional resources. If the resource value is not within the range of the additional resource, the basic resource DLL and the resource DLL of the desired language are used (step 207). If the resource is in the additional resource range, the additional base resource DLL and the desired language resource DLL are used (step 209).
If possible, the resource is loaded from the desired language resource DLL (step 211). If this load cannot be performed, but the base resource is not different from the resource of the desired language, the resource is loaded from the base DLL (step 2).
15). If it cannot be loaded and the base resource differs from the desired language resource, operation of this embodiment of the invention stops at end block 220.

The present invention includes the following embodiments as examples. (1) A method for translating a computer program from a first language to at least one second language, the method comprising the steps of determining a translatable portion of the computer program and marking the portion determined to be translatable. A step of separating the labeled portion and storing it in at least one first library, translating the portion stored in the first library, and reducing the translated portion. Storing in a second library together with the computer.
If, during execution of the program, a labeled part of the computer program is detected, first try the use of the translated part in the at least one second library, and then the at least one A method of translating a language of a computer program, wherein the labeled part stored in the first library is used if the translated part cannot be found in the second library. (2) In a computer system including at least a processor, a memory, a user input means and a display means, and executing at least one first application program and an operating system capable of displaying at least one text and graphic information. A method for translating displayed text and graphic information from a first language into at least one second language, the method comprising: translating a translated portion of the text and graphic information in the application program and operating system program. Separating the deciding step, the marking of the text and graphic information determined to require translation, and the marking of the text and graphic information, Storing in the first library, translating the text and graphic information stored in the first library, and storing the translated text and graphic information in at least one first national language library. , If the application program requires the tagged text and graphic information, the translated text and graphic information in the first national language library is accessed and labeled. Using the tagged text and graphic information stored in the first base library if the text and graphic information is not found in the at least first national language library, And graphic information RFID means method. (3) The first national language library is divided into a plurality of additional resource libraries, and the indicator in the text and graphic information indicates in which additional resource library the translated text and graphic information is stored. A method for translating the text and graphic information according to (2) above.

[0020]

By utilizing the NLS DLL of the present invention, under the environment where the GUI of Windows is used,
For many resources, including text strings, icons, bitmaps, dialog boxes and other user-visible items, clearly separate national language support resources from unnecessary resources and translate translation resources into national languages. Besides making the work easier, the basic language resource can be used as a backup even when the translated resource is not found when the program is executed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the software operating environment of a computer using the Microsoft Windows GUI and the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 15 main executable part 17 client DLL 19 NLS DLL 21 national language DLL 23 basic language DLL

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A method of translating a computer program from a first language to at least one second language, the method comprising the steps of determining a translatable portion of the computer program and determining that the computer program is translatable. Labeling the moiety, separating the labeled moiety and storing it in at least one first library; translating the moiety stored in the first library; Storing the portion in at least one second library, the labeled portion of the computer program being detected during execution of the computer program. Attempts were first made to use said translated part in a second library, and in said at least one second library If you can not find the serial translated portion uses a portion is labeled stored in the first library, how to translate the language of a computer program.