• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
programming forums Java Mobile Certification Databases Caching Books Engineering Micro Controllers OS Languages Paradigms IDEs Build Tools Frameworks Application Servers Open Source This Site Careers Other Pie Elite all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
Marshals:
  • Campbell Ritchie
  • Jeanne Boyarsky
  • Ron McLeod
  • Paul Clapham
  • Liutauras Vilda
Sheriffs:
  • paul wheaton
  • Rob Spoor
  • Devaka Cooray
Saloon Keepers:
  • Stephan van Hulst
  • Tim Holloway
  • Carey Brown
  • Frits Walraven
  • Tim Moores
Bartenders:
  • Mikalai Zaikin

help file management and translation for web app

 
Ranch Hand
Posts: 152
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Hi list,

In my team, we're working on a big web app using struts and eclipse. The application is translated in some 6 other languages besides english.

For the language strings we're using the JINTO eclipse plugin, which works quite well at the moment. However, for each screen in the web app, we're also having a help file.

The management and translation of these help files is quite a big hassle and a pain. At this moment, for each screen and language there is a separate help file, which as the app grows becomes almost unmanagable.

As the project is open source and quite low budget, the deal is that organizations wanting a local translation take care of that themselves, but this doesn't quite work. For every help they'd have to check with the english version if their translation is still up to date, and if their are additions, and as there are so many helps this is quite a hassle. By the time they are done with a complete translation, they can start all over again because the new release of our software has already been released, with of course lots of changes in all help texts - which of course is not very motivating.

We would like to switch to one big file for each language where all help texts are taken from.

Does anybody know of any tools or strategies available for help text management in a big international web application? Any tips?
 
With a little knowledge, a cast iron skillet is non-stick and lasts a lifetime.
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic