Progress
Internationalization Guide


Text Expansion and Contraction

One of the biggest considerations during the design phase is the translation of text into another language. Some of the translation issues you must consider are discussed in the following sections:

Word Length

Failure to allow for changes in size and length of words in an interface is a common error that can be costly during the localization process. If you design an interface that uses every available space or widgets that are exactly the right size for their labels, you are not allowing for the growth of some words during the translation process. For example, when you translate an application from English to German, you should plan on significant expansion of text in specific places, such as button labels.

Table 5–3 illustrates the difference in text length when you translate the text from one language to another.

Table 5–3: The Difference In Text Length After Translation
Language
Translation Of “Message Pop-up”
Danish
pop-up-meddelelse
Danish
berichtvenster
English
message popup
Finnish
sanomakohovalikko
French
incrustation de message
German
Nachrichtenüberlagerungsfenster
Italian
messaggio sovrapposto
Norwegian
meldingsvindu
Portuguese
janela de sobreposiçao de mensagem
Spanish
mensaje emergente
Swedish
popupmeddelande

Typefaces and Point Sizes

When you translate to a different language, the typeface and point size might change. For example, translating from English to Chinese requires a different typeface (to represent the ideograms) and a larger point size (so that the ideograms are legible). For this reason, you must ensure that fields and labels to be translated reside in widgets large enough to accommodate the change in typeface and point size.

NOTE: In general, double-byte Asian languages require larger point sizes than do other languages.

Word Order

Different languages use different word orders. For example, in English, adjectives precede the nouns they modify. In French, some adjectives might have a different meaning depending on the context and whether the adjective precedes or follows the noun it modifies. If you write the phrase “world population conference,” the translator might not be able to determine whether the phrase means a conference on the population of the world or a conference on population in general with attendees from all over the world. If you design an application in French and localize to an English-speaking country, you must review and possibly adjust any labels, titles, or messages that contain adjective and noun combinations.

You should account for such adjustments when you design your interface and write your messages. To save time in translation, use variables to define labels, titles, or messages, and plan to make adjustments for translation in only one place. In some cases, you can use the SUBSTITUTE function to create phrases that you can reorganize in the translation process by using different substitution arguments for each portion of a phrase. See the Progress Language Reference for more information on the SUBSTITUTE function.


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