ad115 -- best practice -- globalizing your ibm lotus notes applications

AD115 Best Practice – Globalizing Lotus Notes ApplicationMike O’Brien | STSMXiao Feng Ji | Staff Software Engineer

Financial DisclaimerThe information on the new product is intended to outline our general product direction and it should not be relied on in making a purchasing decision. The information on the new product is for informational purposes only and may not be incorporated into any contract. The information on the new product is not a commitment, promise, or legal obligation to deliver any material, code or functionality. The development, release, and timing of any features or functionality described for our products remains at our sole discretion

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Agenda● General software globalization

● Notes application multilingual support

● Difficulties in Notes application globalization

● Our solution

● Domino Global Workbench 8.5.1 Introduction

● Future Direction of DGW

● Demo & References

● Q & A

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● Our solution




● Q & A

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General software globalization● The provision of a single software solution that has

▬ Multicultural support▬ A user interface and documentation that is available in one or more languages.

● Globalization = Multicultural support + translation

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General software globalization (cont.)● Programming Model

▬ Translatable strings are separated from the source code.

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General software globalization (cont.)● Single Source Single Executable

Base Product

enzh-TW de pt-

BR

fr es ja

it zh ko

... xx

Language Resource

zh-TW

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● Our solution




● Q & A

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Notes application multilingual support

Tuesday, February 1 , 2000Price : US$150.00

English UI

Chinese UI

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Notes application multilingual support (cont.)● Server Language Pack

▬ ‘Replace’ mode to replace Notes template design with one language▬ ‘Add’ mode to add more than one language into Notes template

● Create a multilingual template through Notes client

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● Our solution




● Q & A

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Difficulties in Notes application globalization● Program with messages, menus and culture behaviours are embedded

into their code

Script

Folder

ViewFormu

la

Notes application

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Difficulties in Notes application globalization (Cont.)● Notes application is developed in RAD, WYSIWYG model, and it could

be customized easily.● Notes application is developed in various programming languages and

design elements.● There are big challenges to globalize Notes application.

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Difficulties in Notes application globalization (Cont.)

● Difficult to identify translatable terms in source code● Difficult to identify which terms are prohibited from translation● Difficult to preserve layout setting from previous versions● Reuse translation and avoid translation inconsistency

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● Our solution




● Q & A

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Our solution

● Extract translatable strings into properties file● Add DNT flags while programming and do not extract them into

translation resource● Utilize translation memory to handle translation work● Preserve layout setting from previous versions by layout property file

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(1) Extract translatable strings into properties file

Tag

Translation

Source Application Translatable Resource(Properties files)

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(1) Extract translatable strings into properties file● The translatable strings will be externalized by Domino Global

Workbench

▬ The ‘Key’ of translation term is generated automatically▬ The ‘Key’ contains the context information that helps translators understanding▬ Hierarchical key can help locate terms when building▬ Property file approach is in line with Java application and Xpages

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(2) Add DNT flags while programming● The terms within DNT flags will not be extracted into translatable

resource.

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(3) Utilize translation memory to handle translation work● Create translation memory based on existing translated resource● Benefits of reusing translation

▬ Save translation cost significantly▬ The fuzzy match can help save translation efforts, and it’s cost-effective.▬ Translation will have a better quality for consistency

● Recommended tool▬ IBM Translation Manager

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(4) Preserve layout setting from previous versions by layout property file

▬ To ensure a good layout in most of the user-interfaces in any languages, we need to adjust the layout setting by the length of translation string.

▬ To reduce the manual effort in later versions, we need to inherit layout setting from previous versions.

Button width is different from English

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(4) Preserve layout setting from previous versions by layout property file● When to generate the layout properties file?

Language application

Testing

Released language application

Layout InformationLayout Properties file

Export

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(4) Preserve layout setting from previous versions by layout property file

▬ Could be customized easily

▬ Inherit layout settings from previous versions

▬ Reduce manual efforts significantly

Export

Form.(wFolderRemove)_|_FolderRemove.Button.OK.Width =5.080cm

Hierarchical Key

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● Our solution




● Q & A

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Domino Global Workbench 8.5.1 Overview● Domino Global Workbench 8.5 is a set of software tools which can help

you to manage the localization (translation) of Domino applications. ● It automatically extracts terminology from your application and stores

them in glossaries or properties ready for translation. ● It builds localized versions of applications automatically using the

translated glossaries or properties files.● It is sim-shipped with Notes client so you can find it in Notes Client CD.

Note: we would like to cover “properties version” only in this session

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The workbench does followings:● Creates properties files from their respective source applications.● Builds localized language applications from the source application and

its associated translation properties.● Updates the properties files and the language applications if the design

of the source application changes.● Logs process messages to a log window, and, optionally, to a reports

database.

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Notes application globalization process

Extract Terms from Design Note

DGW (Design Note Translator)

Original (English) template

Layout.properties

DNT.properties

LanguageTemplate

Language properties

DGW

English.properties

Original (English) template

Translation

Translation Memory

DNT.properties

1

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4

5

Pre-processing Translation Post-processing

Send translation package to Translation companies

Receive translation and compile into Language templates

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Extract Term from Design Note

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How does DGW globalize your customization?You might customize IBM standard Notes application, and it is a challenge to translate your customization and re-apply your translation into IBM Notesapplication in later versions. There is a recommended steps in DGW 8.5.x:

● Obtain EN properties files from IBM● Set customproperties=1 in the config.ini of DGW installation folder● Extract customized strings into customer.properties● Then you should be able to reuse/update customer.properties in later versions

even based Notes application is changed.

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Notes application globalization process – for customized application

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Customized (English) template

Layout.properties

LanguageTemplate

DGW Tagger

Customized (English) template

Translation

Customers’ Translation

Memory

Customized DNT.properties

1

2

3

4

5

Preprocessing Translation Post-processing

Send translation package to Translation companies

Receive translation and compile into Language templates

English properties

DNT.properties

Customer Properties (EN) Customer’s Language

properties

IBM’s Language properties

Extract Term from Design Note

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Upgrade the customized Notes application

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English template(Higher version)

2

Reapply the design changes

Customized template(Higher version)

Customers’ Language properties file(Previous version)

IBM’s Language properties files(Higher version)

1


Language

Customized Template(Higher version)

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● Our solution




● Q & A

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Future Direction of DGW

● Deliver properties files rather than language templates to our customers● Customers run an action (e.g. ‘replace translation’) to get Notes application

translated.● Shorten the gap of ship time between US version and language version.

Financial Disclaimer:

The information on the new product is intended to outline our general product direction and it should not be relied on in making a purchasing decision. The information on the new product is for informational purposes only and may not be incorporated into any contract. The information on the new product is not a commitment, promise, or legal obligation to deliver any material, code or functionality. The development, release, and timing of any features or functionality described for our products remains at our sole discretion

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● Our solution




● Q & A

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Demo1. Install Domino Global Workbench 8.5.x2. Create properties files from source application3. Build language application from source application and translated

properties files4. Update language application by UPD file5. Update language application by changed properties file

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References● Best practices in globalization: Developing IBM Lotus Notes Applications

▬ http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/lotus/library/notes-global-pt2

● Helping customers globalize their IBM Lotus Notes applications▬ http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/lotus/library/notes-global-pt1/index.html

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/lotus/library/notes-global-pt2/

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/lotus/library/notes-global-pt1/index.html

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● Our solution




● Q & A

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