[SoC] A better software localization support for Squeak

[stephane ducasse]

I would really like to see translation attached to packages as  
resources because right now this is really a problem.

Stef

On 24 mars 07, at 20:00, jchauvea at etu.info.unicaen.fr wrote:

> Hello,
>
> I'm a french student who would like to do the Google Summer Of Code  
> 2007,
> That's why I mail you this Squeak project application.
>
> This project title is "A better software localization support for  
> Squeak".
>
> Every suggestion is welcome.
>
> Regards.
>
> Jérôme Chauveau
>
>
> A better software localization support for Squeak
> --------------------------
> Project
> --------------------------
>
> Squeak is an open-source multi-media Smalltalk flavor available on  
> several
> platforms. Since the 3.8 version, Squeak is obtainable in several  
> languages
> : english, german, french, spanish, japanese, ... To achieve that, a
> framework of application has been developed by Ohshima Yoshiki  
> (View Point
> Research Institute) that allows to translate each english sentence  
> of the
> interface, as well as UI tools to ease the translation task. The  
> current
> translation framework still suffers from several drawbacks that we  
> would
> like to solve in this project with a more modular approach.  
> Moreover, the
> translation model is still rather rudimentary. The available  
> translations
> are dispersed among the various versions of Squeak: 3.9,  
> SqueakLand, OLPC,
> Croquet, ...A better software localization support should be a real
> improvement for Squeak. Work will be achieved in collaboration with  
> the
> squeak-dev mailing list in order to define the needs and the  
> solutions. Work
> will have to be published on SqueakSource regularly and I will have to
> submit reports on the mailing list.
>
> --------------------------
> Implementation
> --------------------------
>
> This project is about designing a proposal for a better software
> localization support for Squeak: Currently, the model is really  
> simple: Each
> associated sentences with the key word 'translated' are translated  
> from a
> suitable dictionary for the selected language.
>
>   * In order to solve the dispersed translation problem, one  
> solution could
> be to have a central repository for all the translations. In this  
> way, all
> Squeak versions will use the same translation dictionary.
>   * The non-modularity of the system comes from the fact that the
> translation is done inside the whole image and not for each  
> package. To
> improve this system, the translation has to be done on a component  
> instead
> of the complete Squeak image. Having all language translations in  
> the image
> appears to be bad. Moreover, this project is concentrated on the  
> model, the
> graphical interface part could be done in an other project.
>   * One problem of the current implementation is that the key to  
> find the
> sentence in the dictionary is the english sentence. It would be  
> better to
> use an independant langage key.
>   * 'GetText'is the GNU internationalization (i18n) data format  
> which is
> used for writing multilingual programs. This mechanism appears to  
> be really
> good and could be used in this case.
>   * It could be good to improve the dictionary in order to have a  
> depending
> context culture translation instead of a simple sentence for  
> sentence one.
> For example, colour meanings are different from a culture to  
> another. In the
> same way, the word order or singular/plural changes from a language to
> another.
>   * It is necessary to envisage tools to also convert the existing
> translations in the new model.
>
> --------------------------
> Benefits to the community
> --------------------------
>
> Squeak is a very good tool for beginner developpers, but the  
> translation gap
> is often a problem for students that are not fluent in english.  
> Although
> Squeak is now available in several languages, the rudimentary  
> translation
> model (sentence for sentence) is not satisfying enough. A multi- 
> language
> platform becomes accessible by all and becomes thus increasingly  
> popular
> only if the translation model is good. Moreover, Squeak is  
> integrated in
> theOLPC's project, that is why a good localization support (and more
> especially Squeak's EToys which will be used by children) appears  
> to be
> essential.
>
> --------------------------
> Schedule
> --------------------------
>
> The first part of work will consist in a study of the current Squeak
> translation system, then the next task is to examine the multilingual
> support used in other versions of Smalltalk like VisualWorks, or in  
> other
> programming languages like Java, Python and Ruby. At the next stage, a
> proposal will be made with a first Squeak prototype. I will adopt a  
> test
> driven development approach for his work.
>
> --------------------------
> About me
> --------------------------
>
> My name is Jérôme Chauveau, and I am a 22-year old student at Caen
> University in Calvados, France. I am studying for a Computer Science
> Master's Degree. I think that my profile would be interesting for this
> project for two main reasons. First, I have learned to use the Squeak
> Environnement during my Higher National Diploma where I have  
> programmed with
> this platform. Secondly,this year, I took an option named  
> "Computational
> Linguistic" where I am learning how to translate texts and  
> applications in
> multiple languages.
>
> I think that nowadays translation processing is an important stake  
> for an
> application such as Squeak. I am well-motivated to take part to  
> this spot
> because I think that Squeak deserves to be used by more and more  
> people and
> programmers.
>
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