Localization with Radialix 2 consists of three stages..

1. Resource extraction

To begin, the user creates a new project, adds files for localization, and specifies translation languages. A typical project may contain multiple files and translation languages.

To create a new project, the user can run a special wizard or use command line options. A file for localization or translation language can be added to the project later. When a new file is added, the program opens the File Properties dialog, in which the user is required to choose the type of parser (file type), configure the settings for extraction of resources and hard-coded strings, as well as the settings for creation and launch of localized files. The look of the File Properties dialog depends on the type of the selected parser.

Radialix starts resource extraction automatically when the new project wizard closes, or when the user closes the File Properties dialog and a file is added to a new project.

A localized file can contain one and the same resource in more than one language. Radialix 2 can extract this resource only for one language. The language is selected according to its position in the list of available languages in the File Properties dialog. The user can change the order, in which languages appear in the list. Besides, it’s possible to disable extraction of resources for a specified language by deleting the language from the list of used languages.

The project manager has three columns:

The project item tree contains a section of original resources, as well as separate sections for each translation language. Original resources are available only for preview.

The project manager lets the user select resources for localization. To do so, set status to:

• Read-only (R) - This status indicates that editing is disabled. A copy of the original resource is saved to a localized file.
• Ignore (X) - This status indicates that editing is disabled. When the user creates resource libraries, the resource is not saved to the created file. A copy of the original resource is saved to the localized file.

2. Resource editing

Radialix offers a handy editor to translate resources. Its window consists of two areas: designer and table editor. There is a separator between them that can be moved with the mouse.

The designer is used for visual editing of menu resources, dialogs and forms. The designer is displayed when the user selects a resource of a relevant data type in the project manager. You can resize or move visual controls with the mouse.

At the bottom of the editor panel is s a table editor. It consists of two tabs: Text and Statistics. The Text tab displays strings, text, graphic resources, accelerator resources, and properties. Clicking on the Statistics tab, the user can see translation statistics. You can enter translation directly into the cells of the Translation column. As you localize strings, Radialix 2 can automatically save characters in the beginning and the end of a string, as well as character case. Besides, the program can check localized strings for spelling errors automatically during editing. If errors are found, Radialix 2 highlights them with a red wavy line.

Once the translation is entered, Radialix 2 can check the translation for errors automatically. If no errors are found, the status of a string is set to Validated. Additionally, the program can search for replicates of edited strings and translate them.

To translate string resources, you can use auto-translation. The program will search for translation in strings that have already been localized and scan translation memory. Radialix supports search for translation using fuzzy matching when the user specifies the threshold percentage of string matching. Besides, you can choose auto-translation using PROMPT8.

During translation, the program automatically updates the indicators of translation completeness in the project manager, on the Text tab in the table editor and in the status bar.

3. Creation of localized files

To build localized files, the user needs to use the appropriate tool on the toolbar or in the context menu of the project manager or use a command line option – ga. Files are built based on the settings, specified in the File Properties dialog. These settings depend on the file type.

The path field and name can contain tags and variables. Before a localized file is created, tags and variables are replaced with real values.

Created localized files and original files can be run using the commands on the toolbar. The launch settings can be specified in the File Properties dialog. To run a non-executable file, it is necessary to set the path and name of the executable file.

Radialix can also debug localized files and search for a resource that causes an error. The debugging starts when the user runs a localized file, in which half of the translated resources is substituted with original resources. When the application stops running, the user is supposed to answer the question whether the application ran correctly. Depending on the answer, Radialix 2 decides which part of the translated resources contains the bug, divides this part into halves and replaces translated resources in one of the parts with the original resources, creates the localized file and runs the localized application again. The process goes over again and again until the program finds the value that contains the bug.