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Software localization

Translation of applications – software localization

Software localization consists in the creation of different language versions of computer games and programs. The process consists of several stages during which support tools are used.

The majority of games and programs are initially developed in the English language. Software localization is necessary to prepare different language versions. How does this process differ from a regular translation?

Why isn’t it just possible to send the content to translation and paste it to the code when it is ready? Read about subsequent stages of the process, find the answer to these questions and discover the complexity of software localization.

CMS software panel for software localization – example.

Stages of software localization:

In the program code, it is necessary to separate strings which constitute text content visible for the user. The rest constitutes code which has to remain unchanged for the program to function properly.
Strings have to be appropriately grouped and labelled for programmers to be able to recognize them. If a new software version is, for example, in the Chinese language, English-speaking programmer will not know which string they have got for implementation when they see only its Chinese translation.
Then strings with labels have to be translated, maintaining the appropriate length of each string. Why is it so important? If a message appears in our program in a separate window, the window has some specific dimensions. Text in the target language has to fit into this space. So-called speech bubbles constitute another example in computer games.
The translation needs to be adapted to its recipient in the target country. For example, jokes in games sound differently for a player in the USA and the one from Japan. Thus, transcreation is often necessary. That is why our translators involved in software localization are native speakers of target languages. They know perfectly well the cultural context of the language in which the new software version is going to be published.
When the translation is ready, it is being implemented into appropriate fragments of the program code.
All activities mentioned above, apart from the translation itself, can be highly automatized and simplified with the use of appropriate software. It is no secret that software helps in creating software Such online CMS tools as webtranslateit.com are, for example, used for this purpose.
The last stage covers tests and error correction.

IT translations

mTlumaczenia has been cooperating with renowned software manufacturers for years. We have prepared new language versions of many games and programs. We perform the localization from English and Polish into several dozen languages from all over the world, including several Asian languages and the majority of European languages.

It is important to emphasize that we can divide the translation process into numerous stages. Packages of strings for translation may be small and saved in the CMS tool very fast. It enables smooth work of programmers on software improvement, modification and development.

mTlumaczenia ensures:

Close cooperation with client’s programmers and project managers in order to maximally simplify localization procedures,
Work with the use of software compatible with client’s programs,
Translations performed exclusively by the team of translators who specialize in the field of the program and are native speakers of the target language,
Settlement based on the number of source text characters. It is the easiest method for pricing localization services.

In order to start cooperation with us or if you have any questions concerning software localization, do not hesitate to contact us.