Great tool for localization of Windows software

Schaudin.com was founded in 1993 as a software design company developing custom-made applications running on Microsoft Windows. Since 1995, the company has focused on translation software for the multilingual localization of Windows software. Besides RC-WinTrans, Schaudin.com also offers custom development for needs that cannot be met with standard products, usually the translating of nonstandard file types or special translation requests.

RC-WinTrans X8, the result of complete redesigning and reprogramming, offers the advantage and expertise of previous program versions but does not contain much of their code. By implementing the most promising technologies, RC-WinTrans X8 guarantees to be open and adaptable to accommodate the needs and techniques arising in the future.

Three major concepts were used in creating RC-WinTrans X8. First, the system design has adopted the benefits of the XLIFF (XML Localisation Interchange File Format) format, which was specifically designed to be a standard in software localization. RC-WinTrans X8 uses XLIFF as its underlying data storage format and for data processing. File converters are used to convert the file formats of major development platforms to XLIFF for processing (translation) and back to the original file formats to create translated target files.

Second, in order to achieve flexibility, RC-WinTrans X8 has integrated Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). VBA macros provide the best way to consider individual requirements for the translation of software. They can be used to solve problems quickly and easily or to customize RC-WinTrans and extend its functionality to provide individual solutions. The technological counterpart to the VBA integration is the RC-WinTrans X8 object model, a standard Microsoft COM API that provides access to all localization data contained in the underlying XML database file, to various tools such as resource type editors and word processing tools and to the user interface. Thus, the object model opens up different parts of RC-WinTrans while VBA is used to manipulate these parts and accomplish whatever it is one requires.

Third, the HTML views concept completes the new system design of RC-WinTrans X8. Together with VBA and the RC-WinTrans X8 object model, HTML forms allow a user to create a customized display of information capable of accommodating the needs of virtually any software localization situation.

With the new design, the following novelties are possible:

Translation/editing. The use of XLIFF allows storage of alternate translations for any source string. External tools can be used to edit target files directly by exporting them to the appropriate editor and re-importing the data into the database of the translation project (XML data). Users can set item attributes and state flags according to the XLIFF standard.

External translation. Data that needs to be translated or reviewed can be easily sent to an external translator in compact packages. These so-called project bundles contain a project file along with the corresponding XLIFF translation database file(s), which is/are capable of holding additional information such as notes, task markers, alternate translations or custom data. The user can add all or just a selection of files in a translation project. For easier distribution, project bundles are compressed into a standard ZIP archive right within RC-WinTrans.

Project management. RC-WinTrans X8 has improved its project management features for working with various projects. RC-WinTrans projects may contain any number of files (and file types) and lets the user work on multiple projects simultaneously. The system architecture enables an elaborated source control: the use of XML in the form of XLIFF files (one per source file and one per target language) makes these files much easier to manage and to manipulate. In addition, XML project files integrate more efficiently with a source code control system than a binary file as the user can control each translation unit independently. The user can check out one target language or even just a single file in a certain language. After processing, one can securely merge them back without affecting other languages or files.

In addition to controlling user editing, one can also use this functionality if the source file has changed and consequently the localized file(s) need to be updated. In this case, the option is available of updating the affected files right away or of generating a report that lists everything that has been added, deleted or changed within the source data. After a file is updated, all changes are clearly indicated so that the user can easily identify what needs to be reviewed. The reports are XLIFF files that are saved hierarchically, thus making it possible to track changes that were made within a given period. The new HTML interface allows display, printing or storing a translation status page with pie charts of word counts in different processing states. The HTML interface also allows a price calculation by internal customizable criteria or by using TRADOS via OLE-linking.

Flexibility. RC-WinTrans X8 can be fully customized due to the tool's integration of Microsoft VBA and the RC-WinTrans object model (COM objects). The resulting flexibility is expanded even further by the use of custom HTML pages as views but also as client applications catching RC-WinTrans events and allowing access to RC-WinTrans as a server application. Such HTML clients can simply run within RC-WinTrans (hosted) or even in a browser window detached from the application. This is possible by inserting a specific ActiveX control into HTML pages, which automatically handles the connection to the RC-WinTrans application. This also allows access to VBA scripts hosted by RC-WinTrans right from within a browser. The present system only allows access to RC-WinTrans acting as a local server on the same machine. However, the system architecture is open to be expanded to allow local network or even remote access to a RC-WinTrans server. The graphical user interface of RC-WinTrans X8 is available in both English and French.

Features. RC-WinTrans X8 offers all of the functions of previous versions: it supports the translation of Java properties files (PROPERTIES), single-language Win32 resource script files (RC) and binary executable files (EXE/DLL), ActiveX control data (Win32), Windows INI files and InstallShield SHL files, HTML files (as part of graphical user interfaces), Microsoft .NET, Borland .NET and RESX resource files and .NET binary files such as RESOURCES, EXE and DLL including framework 1.1 standard files plus XLIFF files and databases (presently, there is only a converter for MS Access available). Visual editors providing WYSIWYG functionality enhance the translation of graphical user interfaces. Previous translations can be imported either as other RC-WinTrans X8 projects or as previously translated target files. Alternatively, existing dictionaries can be attached in delimited text or TMX format.

As with previous versions of RC-WinTrans and as shown in the screen shot below, software dialogs can be visually translated (Layout Editing — upper middle) and via dialogs comfortably adjusted (Dialog Box Control Properties — upper layer — lower left). Please also note the general assembly of RC-WinTrans main GUI, consisting of the menu and toolbars (top), workspace (project, file and resource navigator — upper left), the Translation Edit window including the fuzzy matches from the cross-linked TRADOS Workbench (bottom left), the Tools window featuring the new HTML switchboard (upper right — here used for price calculation) and the Miscellaneous Window (here used for concordance search of a string within all documents of the project — lower right).

The screenshot below shows Main RC-WinTrans GUI featuring the source-target table with attached flags (upper right). The lower part of the Table View shows the source document (here a RC file) as an HTML representation enabling highlighting of translatable text. The Translation Edit Bar shows an example of highlighting word changes made within the source text (lower left). Data can then be updated without losing any of the information that has already been translated. Items that have changed are also clearly marked in the Text Table view (red-dot marker, upper right). In the lower right, the Miscellaneous Bar shows a list of tasks suggested for the project after automated QA measures were applied. Please note that both Tool windows are deactivated to allow for more space — as all of RC-WinTrans X8's toolbars and windows can be shown or hidden according to user preferences.

RC-WinTrans also provides direct support for TRADOS TMs by OLE-linking to a TRADOS Translator's Workbench. Translations can be exported into Microsoft Excel, delimited text or TMX format. RC-WinTrans provides powerful local or global find/replace features. In an early state of the software development cycle, one can use pseudo-translation to determine whether an application can be easily localized and check if it functions correctly after being translated. Users can check and validate translations with the help of many quality assurance (QA) functions such as high-quality spell-checker for many European languages, plus placeholder check, text fit check, overlapping check, leading/trailing spaces check, trailing colon/ellipsis check, control character check, hotkey check, text fit check for detached strings and uniform translation check. For project management, reports may be generated to provide an overview of the most important project details. Reports are in HTML format, which can be easily saved, printed or stored for future use. Identical source text (repetitions) is automatically pre-translated, and the user can design workflows by defining a task list, which is then processed in chronological order.

Use and evaluation. As expected, RC-WinTrans X8 installed without any flaws on both test systems (Windows XP Pro on an older PIII 866 MHz, 256 MB RAM as well as on a 1.73 GHz Centrino Laptop offering 1024 MB RAM and running on Windows XP Home Edition). As with previous editions, RC-WinTrans X8 offers all necessary and many elaborated functions for the localization of MS Windows software. In addition, version X8 provides the best-known system architecture for an open and optimized development of future versions. Users can take advantage of unrivaled options for an optimal customization of the entire system via VBA macros and their manipulation by adapted or new HTML forms.

RC-WinTrans X8 continues with the tool's great tradition of excellent help systems, documentation and support. It provides a comprehensive HTML help system (in English), a manual in PDF and a start-up guide in print. Users receive general support for RC-WinTrans X8 at no additional charge. In addition, advanced support packages are available if the user needs more support time or wants to take advantage of Schaudin.com's experience in custom-made VBA macros.

By basing all translations on the XLIFF format, RC-WinTrans offers powerful source and update control features, which are fully compatible with several external version control systems such as Microsoft Visual SourceSafe. This ensures real version control during the development of multilingual software packages.

Additional cool features are a powerful spell-checker, which marks unknown words and offers alternatives for their corrections, the display of text strings that were changed during the last session and a history of the last 20 operations. Other helpful options include switching of source and target languages at any time and an internal or TRADOS-linked price calculation enhanced by a clear HTML output.

I could only locate very few obstacles and downsides of the new RC-WinTrans X8. Although there are Translator Group licenses, where a number of translators can receive a Translators Edition to be able to handle RC-WinTrans project bundles, I would have liked to see a free "freelancer edition" offering a freelance translator the opportunity to accept RC-WinTrans projects without having to borrow a license from the client. I really like the new statistics reports in HTML, but the SVG visualizations (especially the legends) are much too small. Being able to link RC-WinTrans to TRADOS is another great feature of this tool. Unfortunately, the technical realization is based on the relatively slow OLE instead of using the TRADOS API. Schaudin.com was already aware of this shortcoming and plans to use the TRADOS SDK to speed this interaction up and offer more cooperatively. Due to the choice of VBA as the scripting language and the high licensing fees for VBA, only buyers of the most expensive RC-WinTrans version (Global Developer Edition) are able to alter present VBA scripts or develop new scripts. However, the Global Developer Edition also includes a special VBA help and support for VBA-related issues.