Getting started

LinLocalize for Windows

LinLocalize is a program for translating the strings in an application and create language specific resources. This program for translating the resources of Delphi executables is created by Jens Kühner for Kylix applications. LinLocalize for Windows has some adaptations to make LinLocalize useable for Window applications. Version 1.5 for Windows can be used to localize Windows applications under Windows. See features and Introduction.

Installation

LinLocalize needs no special installation. For Windows, place

• LinLocalize.exe
• winresbind.exe
• empty.dll
• LinLocalizeHelp.chm (this file)
• optional translation files LinLocalize.LA and winresbind.LA, where LA stands for your language

in a map of your choice. Winresbind.exe is the executable for reading and writing the resource for Window applications. (For Linux applications, a similar file is available in version 1.3).

First steps

1. The default project directory is named LinLocalize and located in your My Documents directory. Otherwise, create your own LinLocalize project directory.
2. You can specify the project directory for the projects with New | Project Setup. A project file has extension .llp. Every project gets his own sub-directory with extension .tok.
3. Specify the resbind location with Tools | Options. The resbind executable for windows is winresbind.exe and MUST be placed in the same directory as LinLocalize.exe. When no file is specified winresbind is expected to be located in the same directory as the LinLocalize executable.
4. When you already have access to translation memories, such as
   • .glo (LinLocalize translation memories)
   • .mo (Gettext translation memorie)
   • .po (Gettext translation textfile)
   • .tmx (Translation Memory Exchange file in a specific xml-format)

   you can import these using Tools | Glossaries | Add .. to the LinLocalize Glossaries directory, which is by default located in your project directory.

These options are saved in the file LinLocalize.ini, which was saved in the same directory as LinLocalize.exe. In version 1.4 this has been changed to the project location, which defaults to a \LinLocalize directory in <My Documents>.

Create a Linlocalize Translation project

• Create a new project by choosing File | New project ...
• Give your project a functional name.
• The project will be saved in the Location map. Change it if you like.
• Add Source .. by choosing the executable (.exe or .dll) you want to translate. You may choose more than one executable.
• The Properties dialog is opened.
• Choose the file format. In this case it has to be Windows. Future releases of LinLocalize for Windows may offer the possibility to translate Linux executables as well.
• Choose the language of the source text. In most cases this is English.
• Press Ok
• Add Language ... by choosing the destination language(s) for the translations.
• Press ok
• The project window is opened. More info on the project window ...

Browse the possibilities

Linux support

Create a first translation

• Double click in the Project window the source language to obtain the strings from the source.
• Double click in the Project window a language for creating the strings for the translation.
• Select in the Project window the local menu (right mouse click on a translation language) and choose Properties.
• Select Shared Resource File as file format and close the properties window.
• Go to a Translation List window and select the list on the left the main window of your application. More info on the Translation list window ...
• Translate or change a few test strings that you can see directly when you open your application. For instance, menu or button texts of a form.
• Press the save icon to of the Translation List window to save your translations.
• Select the Generate Target File icon to write a target file for the selected language. Alternatively, choose Generate Target File from the local menu (right mouse click).
• When everything works as intended, a resource dll is created in the same directory as the executable. The name of the dll is the same as that of the application, but has a language dependent extension (for instance NL for Dutch or DE for German). The result is shown in the output window at the bottom of the LinLocalize window.
• Start your application. The translation dll is automatically loaded when it has the appropriate language identification as an extension.
• Review your first translations in your application.

LinLocalize can auto-translate strings in two ways:

1. LinLocalize can use translation memories in the form of so called glossary files (.glo). These files contain translations from other projects, which are often partly the same as your current project. A few of these files are part of the distribution (without any guarantee of translation quality). Furthermore, it is possible to create glo-files from several external formats such as Gettext MO files, Gettext PO files, and TMX files. It is also possible to create a .glo file from your own translations. Using LinLocalize .glo translation memories.
2. It can use External Translation. In this version, support for Google Translate is implemented. You can instruct auto-translate to use Google Translate for strings not found in the translations memories (.glo files). This results in imperfect translations, which are useful as a first start. See also the Translation porperties Window ...

Maintaining translations

• Linlocalize maintains the translations of your project in your LinLocalize project directory. When you have changed the original executable, you can update the source string list and the translation list by clicking on the Create/Update Stringlist icon.
• If you have created a new version in a new directory, you can change this on the Properties of the Source String List.
• You can export your translations to a Glossary file (.glo), which you can use for other projects.
• You can maintain Project Glossaries as well as Global Glossaries. The Project Glossaries are used for the specific project, while the Global Glossaries are used for all projects.
• Glossaries are common text files. You can read and edit them using a text editor such as MS Notepad, or Notepad++ (unicode versions).

See also: Creating and maintaining a translation