Considering your product

[Dave S]

Hello,

We're considering purchasing your product to add localization to our existing applications, and future development efforts. I was hoping to ask a few high-level questions, to help us be a little more informed about your product.

First, a little about our application, so you'll know where we're coming from:

- We use Tnt controls in some areas of the product where Unicode is needed, but not all areas. We don't use any TTntForm or TTntFrame components.

- Our application has 3 versions. We use a resource-only DLL to change toolbars for each version. The DLL contains an XML file that contains the layout for toolbars, and these toolbars are created dynamically at runtime. Toolbar controls can have caption and hint properties - these are fields in the xml toolbar definition file. Here's an example of one item from one toolbar:

Code: Select all

      
  <item name="librarybtn">
    <kind>ImageButton</kind>
    <image>main_library</image>
    <hint>Show/hide the library</hint>
  </item>

- Our application has the ability to update itself from our website, and so we offer new releases quite often. As many as one or two a month, at times.

So, with these points in mind, here are a couple of questions:

1. Since we update our application quite often (new functionality as well as simple bug fixes), does your system allow for easily detecting differences between a previous build and an updated build that may or may not have new translation items? We would obviously want the translators to start with the already-translated state of the previous build, and only have to translate new items.

2. In order to get a development time estimate for localizing our entire application, I'm hoping to get some idea of what is involved in translating a single unit. Do you have any publication or information that outlines the steps required to localize a single D7 form that uses only native VCL or TnT controls, and it's accompanying unit that uses only resourcestrings? I don't mean the time it would take to translate text, I mean the development time it would take to make a single unit be translatable in the first place.


Thanks very much!
Dave

[isiticov]

Hello,

Thank you for interest in our product. Please find below the answers to your questions.

So, with these points in mind, here are a couple of questions:

1. Since we update our application quite often (new functionality as well as simple bug fixes), does your system allow for easily detecting differences between a previous build and an updated build that may or may not have new translation items? We would obviously want the translators to start with the already-translated state of the previous build, and only have to translate new items.

TsiLang components automatically add newly created components and remove components that were deleted.
You can always export your project translations into SIL/SIB file and it will contain new (untranslated) entries among with already translated, so your translators will need to translate just few new strings. And new Statistics Wizard available in latest version of SIL Editor will help you to calculate how much they need to translate and how much you will need to pay them for untranslated strings only.

2. In order to get a development time estimate for localizing our entire application, I'm hoping to get some idea of what is involved in translating a single unit. Do you have any publication or information that outlines the steps required to localize a single D7 form that uses only native VCL or TnT controls, and it's accompanying unit that uses only resourcestrings? I don't mean the time it would take to translate text, I mean the development time it would take to make a single unit be translatable in the first place.

At http://www.tsilang.com/delphiglobalizat ... ranslating is presented small example of translating and this quite good demonstrates how easy and fast you will be able to translate projects. Actually, when you become familiar with TsiLang Components Suite (and, I'm sure, you will become quite fast as many users ) you will be able to translate (I mean from developer side not from translator) your whole projects in minutes, since almost all things and steps are automatizated in TsiLang Expert (see Delphi menu Tools|TsiLang Expert):
1. Use Translation Wizard to insert components on your form and configure them (3-5 min for the whole project)
2. Use File|Source|With Form in expert's menu to scan and translate hard-coded strings used in sources (5-10 min)
3. Use File|Source|Without Form to scan and translate units without form (3-5 min)
4. Use File|Const|With Form to translate const or resource strings section of units (5-10 min)
5. Use File|Const|Without Form to translate const or resource strings section of units without form (3-5 min)
6. Additionally you may want to use Resource Strings Wizard (Tools|Wizards in menu) to translate resource strings from VCL or 3rd party components (3-5 min)

So as you may count the maximum time for the whole project- 40 minutes, but you won't need always use all of these steps

Please let me know if this helps.

[Dave S]

Thanks for the info. I'll be recommending your product to the buyers, so we should hopefully be a customer soon!

Thanks again,
Dave