How to add support for different languages to an application ?

This question was posted on the WinDev mailing list a few days ago.

When you need to translate a text (say a Word document), the process is simple :

1. You send the file to the translator by e-mail (The translator may be a colleague, a friend, a professional translator,...).
2. The translator double-clicks the attached file in the mail. Word opens up.
3. She starts translating the text.
4. When done, she closes Word and sends you back the translated file.

Now what if the document you want to translate is your latest killer app ? Let's review the process :

1. Send the file by e-mail.
Huh! Which file ? The .exe ? The installer ? The source code (oh no...) ?

2. The translator double-clicks the file.
Er... She's launching the app then ! OK, why not... Let's see what happens next.

3. She starts translating the text.
Ah! And how does she do that ? How does that translate the texts in the app's menu ? Does she use a hammer to modify the menu items text ?

4. She sends you back the translation.
According to the result of the previous 3 steps, prepare to wait some time until she gets here.

Wouldn't it be nice if, when the translator double-clicks the file you sent her, some kind of editor opens up and let her translate all the visual elements of your app (menus, dialogs, strings,...). If we had that tool, translating an app would be the same job as translating a Word document.

And how would we call such an editor ? OK, let's see... What does it do ? It takes an app and lets you translate it. An... App Translator, actually.

My name is Serge Wautier. A few months ago, I decided to start-up my own company in order to create AppTranslator, because up to now, translating your app has been way too tedious a process.

Stay tuned: In the upcoming posts, I'll tell you more about AppTranslator, localization and life as an ISV founder.