Converting Software into French!!

[richy22]

I have some software that i wrote that i would like to turn into french. Is this easy/possible??

Do i have to change every line of code etc?? I can do the pop up messages easy but cant fathom out how to change all of the "file" "print" tabs etc

I must state im not a hardcore programmer im self teaching myself!

Chos!

 

[TheCake]

If you wrote it, I presume you'd know but i'm guessing you've hardcoded it. In which case, you may well be fucked. Sorry but theres no point beating round the bush.

 

[richy22]

No i didn't write it but the person whos pc this used to be did. I am just playing around with our software as maybe i might be able to sell this product to a customer in France. Like i said i have a limited knowledge of software.


ooo after a bit of fidling i think i found what i need to do....

m_wndToolBar.SetButtonText(0,"New");

Change the above into the french equivalent on each tab/button. Now all i need to do is learn proper French rather than use BabelFish or whatever!!

 

[sn00p]

StringTables are your friend!

I'm guessing you didn't use them though, now might be a good time to switch it over to using them.

 

[richy22]

sn00p could you elaborate on "string tables" for me!! As in what they are do?!

Im picking up programming quite a bit considering i knew nothing about 6 months ago!!

 

[sn00p]

sn00p could you elaborate on "string tables" for me!! As in what they are do?!

Im picking up programming quite a bit considering i knew nothing about 6 months ago!!

Look in your resources file. You can create a object called a string table, it's something like this (pseudo):

IDS_DELETE = "Are you sure you want to delete?"
IDS_CANCEL = "Action has been cancelled"

In visual studio it's just like editing a spreadsheet.

In your code and other resources you use the stringtable ID's instead of actual strings.

Here's the clever part. You can duplicate the string table and assign it another language and then change the actual string content....

Everything else should fall out. You might have to make adjustments in dialogs and stuff to accomodate different length strings.

 

[richy22]

Oh i see! So replacing whats currently there with these string tables that stay in the resources table. Rather than having to write it out 20 odd times u just change the string and it changes all relevant links to that string.

 

[sn00p]

Oh i see! So replacing whats currently there with these string tables that stay in the resources table. Rather than having to write it out 20 odd times u just change the string and it changes all relevant links to that string.

Yep. Professional translations can be done easily as well without revealing anything as well, you just hand over the resources file to your translator....