Data processing: software development – installation – and managem – Software program development tool – Translation of code
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-04
2001-08-14
Powell, Mark R. (Department: 2122)
Data processing: software development, installation, and managem
Software program development tool
Translation of code
C717S152000, C704S008000, C707S793000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06275978
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to computers and software, and more particularly, to differentiation of localized (i.e. internationalized for language including region or dialect, or by profession or industry, including acronyms, etc.) terms utilizing a resource bundle generator.
2. Description of Related Art
As known in the art, localization of a term is a process of altering a program so that it is suitable for the target user. However, localization of programs requires a little more effort and is generally program language specific. The major problem of localization is making the program flexible enough to display messages or other types of user visible text to the target user in the appropriate language for the current locale, dialect or profession. Typically, this means that the program cannot use hard coded messages and must instead read in a set of messages at runtime, based on the locale setting.
In the well known Java programming language developed by Sun Microsystems, Inc., there are packages, i.e., programs created to perform a particular type of work, that are designed to allow a programmer to localize the handling of numbers, dates, times, string comparisons, and so on. A function “number format” is used to convert numbers, monetary amounts, and percentages to the appropriate textual format for a locale. Similarly, the “data format” class, along with “calendar” and “time zone” classes from the Java utility package, are used to display dates and times in a localized specific way. The “collector class” is used to compare strings according to the alphabetization rules of a given locale and the “break iterator” class is used to locate the word, line, and sentence boundaries for that given locale.
The Java programming language also provides an easy way to localize messages by defining messages as key/value pairs in a “Resource Bundle” subclass. The programmer creates a subclass of “Resource Bundle” for each language or locale for which the application supports naming each class following a convention that includes the locale name. At runtime the programmer uses the “ResourceBundle.getBundle( )” method to load the appropriate “Resource Bundle” class for the current locale. The “Resource Bundle” contains the messages the application uses, each associated with a key that served as the message name. Using this technique, the application can look up the localized dependent message translation based on the localized independent message name.
However, a primary difficulty with this localized independent message methodology is the lack of the ability to provide localization of a message that may have more than one definition for conversion, i.e. localization differentiation. An example of this would be to utilize the string “hot” which in English refers to situations for both temperature and taste. A localization for these two different cases in Spanish have two different meanings. The “picante” (taste) and “caliente” (temperature).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a system and method for term localization differentiation. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the system and method utilize a second key to assist the resource bundle generator in the localization of an input string. The second key should be descriptive and provide some context of the string to be translated. If the string being localized is a message, the second key should characterize the string in the proper context.
In an alternative embodiment, the second key can appear in the form of a comment to the first resource bundle key and value. The second key allows the application to specify different strings for each duplicative first key. The additional key provides for an increase in the reliability of the localization.
The present invention can also be conceptualized as providing a system for differentiating a localized message utilizing a resource bundle generator. In this regard, the system can be broadly summarized by the following components: program source code, a resource bundle system that interacts with the program source code, verifies compliance of the program source code with the syntactical rules, and generates data files to assist in the localization of source data values. The resource bundle program file contains a localization term library, and the resource program file is a source file for loading the resource bundle program file.
The present invention can also be conceptualized as providing a method for differentiating a localized message utilizing a resource bundle generator. In this regard, the method can be broadly summarized by the following steps: maintaining a list of a plurality of localized differentiated terms, parsing a source program for a token, transmitting a request for differentiation and the said token, if said token includes more than one key, matching said token to said list of said plurality of localized differentiated terms, providing a differentiation token of said token, generating a localization token for said differentiation token if said differentiation token exists, generating a localization token for said token if said differentiation token does not exist, and generating object code of said source code including said localization token.
Other features and advantages will become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the drawings and detailed description.
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Agilent Technologie,s Inc.
Booker Kelvin
Neudeck Alex J.
Powell Mark R.
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