ANN: Precision Language Suite 2.1 beta for FPC/Lazarus

[roma_n]

We would like to announce, that a preliminary version of "Precision Language Suite 2.1b for FreePascal/Lazarus" has been released.
 
Precision Language Suite is a localization tool for Delphi developers, that has been ported to FPC. Not all features of Delphi edition are available for FPC yet, but this release is ready to test and use.

Brief overview of the features:
* Allows you to implement the localization for your product in only four easy steps
* Implementation is very flexible and supports the dynamic usage if required (ie. loading only selected part of product)
* Language files are stored in a clear, easy to use text format
* It allows fast and uncomplicated verification of changes during the development of your product
* A compressed, binary format of language files is also available [so far only for Delphi]
* Language files can be shared between your projects (products)
* With the help of so called "user language files" you can adapt your product to a specific requirements of certain customers, without altering the distribution package of you product
* Supports both own and standard localization method for resource strings
* Allows localization of error messages, informational messages and return values from a dynamically linked third-party libraries (DLL, BPL, ...)
 
Basic editor features:
* Project files manager
* Quick searching and filtering of items
* Item tags, including an automated tagging (translate, do not localize, automatically translated, etc.)
* Finding and replacing the texts
* Automatic synchronization with defined source code files
* One-time import of resource strings and component properties
* Export and import of the translation table (using the CSV file format)
* Automatic preparation of the source file for the text constants identifiers (including the default texts)
* Indicative proposals of localization source code for your application
* Support for translation into other languages using the web services and/or custom dictionaries
* Pre-processing and post-processing of the project
* The package system for defining the default constants, messages, language codes, supported properties, etc.
 
Embedded localization feature:
* Allows you to localize your applications directly "on the fly" [so far only for Delphi]
 
 
All informations can be found on the product web page:  http://www.be-precision.com/products/precision-langs/
 
Best regards!
 
Roman Macura
Precision software & consulting
http://www.be-precision.com/

[IPguy]

Roman,
Thank you for the announcement.
Your web site says this product only supports the Windows OS'.
Will you be extending your product to support the full range of OS' that Lazarus supports?  If so, in what time frame?

[ik]

Looks like a very interesting product.
I could not find if it support few things, such as: understand what are the language requirements, for example if it bi-directional, plural vs singular, male vs female forms etc...

Do you have a support for such issues ?

[roma_n]

Hello IPGuy,

"Localization source codes" should work also in cross-platform projects in FPC. Source codes are available for free, so you can play with them - the demo is also available.

But the Translation Editor is for Windows platform only. The Linux and Mac versions are not available, and I have no concrete plan for that. It will depend on the interest in this product for these platforms.

Regards,

Roman
Precision software & consulting
http://www.be-precision.com/

[roma_n]

Hello ik!

Precision Language Suite for FPC/Lazarus works natively with UTF-8 encoded files. So you can freely make and use any localization (the demo project contains english, czech and russian translations). You can also use ANSI files, but they will be functional only if an appropriate code page is installed on user's PC (we do not recommend this - it is unnecessarily complicated).

Bi-Di mode is not handled for now, (nor in Delphi edition). You have to change the Bi-Di by yourself (in code), when switching the language. But I will take a look at this topic, if it could be solved automatically.

Plural / singular and male / female forms can be solved by PLS, because when you need such a behavior, you can define a virtual form in your language file and when switching the language for concrete form, you can load the virtual form instead of the form with exact identifier. Ie. when loading the translation for TfrmMain, you can load the TfrmMainWomen translation.

Hope this helps!

Roman

[ik]

Hello ik!

Hi Roman,

Please see my answer inline:

Bi-Di mode is not handled for now, (nor in Delphi edition). You have to change the Bi-Di by yourself (in code), when switching the language. But I will take a look at this topic, if it could be solved automatically.

Bi-Directional language support is a bit more then just place something that are on the left to the right. So if there is some sort of flag that I can know that a language is from right to left, it can help a lot.
The same with Asian languages (that I have no experience with them myself).

Plural / singular and male / female forms can be solved by PLS, because when you need such a behavior, you can define a virtual form in your language file and when switching the language for concrete form, you can load the virtual form instead of the form with exact identifier. Ie. when loading the translation for TfrmMain, you can load the TfrmMainWomen translation.

Singular vs plural is a bit more complicated, because on some languages the rules changes to the mount of things in use, like if I have two things it will be different then 3 and above etc.. and it also depends on masculine and feminine (male and female forms) forms.

For example in my native language (Hebrew), plural is always masculine (except of few rules), however, numbers can be either masculine or feminine depends on the context of the phrase itself, so the ability to change form in a tool can be more helpful then making the rules in my own code, for each application.

Hope this helps!
Roman

I mention it, because your tool is great, and can be the best translation tool I have ever used

Ido

[roma_n]

Hi ik!

So if there is some sort of flag that I can know that a language is from right to left, it can help a lot.
The same with Asian languages (that I have no experience with them myself).

Sure, extending the language file format, TLanguageManager class and the editor with "Bi-Di" flag for desired language is easy and we will implement this.

Singular vs plural is a bit more complicated, because on some languages the rules changes to the mount of things in use ...
... however, numbers can be either masculine or feminine depends on the context of the phrase itself, so the ability to change form in a tool can be more helpful then making the rules in my own code, for each application.

I think that GUI texts (and other property values) for male/female forms can be solved by virtually defined forms (as mentioned before), but you are right that dynamically displayed texts (ie. formatted strings) should also have defined their "approach" (plural/singular, male/female, and their combinations). We will think about the way, how to implement a comfortable usage of these variants (both for GUI and constants).

I think that we can start with combining the features, that PLS has already implemented - like "more language files for one translation" and "filtering of language file names to load" ...

I mention it, because your tool is great, and can be the best translation tool I have ever used

Thank you very much for such a positive feedback and also for your suggestions!

Best regards,

Roman