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All the error messages and most of the UI (a web front-end) are externalized (written to a location outside the source code - usually an XML file). There are several advantages:
1. Localization , as you've mentioned. The translators just deal with the XML - not the code.
2. The writer makes the edits. I check out the XML files from our version control system, make the necessary edits to the text strings, and then check them back in. There's no need to ask the developers to make the changes (so a reduced chance that something will get lost between my input and the implementation) and no need for the developers to remember to ask for review of new strings.
3. No chance of breaking the source. (Ask me how I know this is important :-> )
Dan
-----Original Message-----
From: bounce-techwr-l-129804 -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
[mailto:bounce-techwr-l-129804 -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com]On Behalf Of Guy K.
Haas
Sent: Friday, March 19, 2004 10:54 AM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: External localization?
Has anyone here encountered a scheme in which the constant strings,
particularly the diagnostic messages, of a software product are
separated from the software itself?
This would enable the publishing of revised error messages, or of the
HTML help text, on a website where customers could download them and
upgrade their software without a build.
It could even be used for localization -- not only for the diagnostica
but for the displayed values (like names of buttons and fields) in UIs
as long as provision was made for differences in the length of such values.
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