Japanese Localization Help? 102
TwoPumpChump asks: "I'm a young engineer, with only modest programming training and experience, (Nothing to match you Gods of the code,) and I have just been assigned with the task of traveling to one of our Japanese factories to learn, then translate and localize some VB 6 code for a product line that we'll be setting up here at our American facility. The application's purpose is to run various tests using GPIB communications, with NI-DAQ hardware for instrument control and dump results into a database, all of which I'm comfortable with. My question is, before I travel half around the globe for the first time ever, is what issues can I expect when localizing Japanese code to US English and what sort of 'toolkit' should I take?"
You are being tossed into the deep-end, my friend (Score:4, Insightful)
You must have pissed someone off in a previous life, because this is usually a non-trivial exercise, and the company is trying to do it on the cheap.
Presumably you speak Japanese.
Try Google, searching for localization and internationalization. There are some sites out there that discuss it, even for VB.
How much string processing will you need to do? Will there be data file changes? What is the scope of the UI changes required?
There are companies out there, like Lionbridge or Basis Technology, that make good money doing this for people. Usually they get called after a company has already spent too much trying to do it themselves.
Re:You are being tossed into the deep-end, my frie (Score:3, Insightful)
(This comes from a recent C/S grad with development experience and five semesters of Japanese.)
I'm assuming you have no Japanese language experience of your own. Maybe you have some experience with their culture. I imagine you will be given access to bilingual folks, who will help you understand their application well enough to Americanize it.
First, remember that Japan and the US have very different ways of thinking. There's a good reason Japanese is a difficult language for us western folk to learn -- just learning to convert one set of concept-words to another set of concept-words isn't sufficient, if the concepts are different.
In practice, this means you need to drag your translation help (kicking and screaming) through the process of translating situations, translating use-cases, not just translating words into different words. Be sure you understand the program's design nearly well enough that you could build it yourself. Ask your translators to spell out what the reader should be thinking when they read something, or what the reader will probably want to do when they read something.
Hope this helps!
--Michael Spencer
Only one thing to do... (Score:3, Insightful)
Quit.
Honestly, if I was in your situation, and I could not talk anyone out of it, I'd either quit or demand a gigantic pay raise unless they were already paying me really well.
Were this in Java or Python or a web app, something where you stand a chance with international charsets, it might be OK.
English to German or some other Latinate language might be OK.
If this was in something that didn't depend on drawing static forms on the screen, but instead built the forms from metadata, you might stand a chance. (This is assuming your VB app took the path of least resistance and doesn't already run this way, so you'll be completely re-drawing every form.)
An app that had already been localized into something else might be OK, or one that had been planned for it since the beginning.
But this? Absurdly large task for one person. You could be doing this for years, and it's just not fun enough for that.
I sure hope the code is of a decent quality. If it's spaghetti code to boot, this message goes from 25% toungue-in-cheek to full out serious advice, because the L10N is going to touch everything. You're going to be stunned what new code paths are going to be generated.
Re:Thanks for the advice so far, some more points. (Score:5, Insightful)
To top it off, you have only two assistants for this on the native language side of things, only one of which is any help and he's not going to be there all that often.
It sounds like a project someone wants to fail before it's even started. I'd be asking myself if you angered one of your bosses (or if it's a power play between two higher ups and you're just a pawn).
Please tell me your boss didn't catch you in bed with his daughter or wife
In all seriousness, though, this may be (though is not necessarily) a rather negative indication of your life expectancy at the place you are currently employed (wether it is because of something you did or if you're just a sacrificial lamb...)
My advice? Do the best you can without killing yourself and try to have some fun while you're there. Good luck. You're going to need it...
Re:You are being tossed into the deep-end, my frie (Score:3, Insightful)
Probably because the poster of the article wants to convert a piece of manufacturing production-line software from Japanese to English, and the parent to your post is talking about going the other way, English to Japanese. He's talking about coding issues with the Japanese language, stuff to do with romaji, postal addresses.
Whilst interesting for other people, that information is probably next to useless for the poster of the article.
Re:Thanks for the advice so far, some more points. (Score:2, Insightful)
You haven't mentioned a timeframe for the project. If it's a year or more, really, seriously consider studying Japanese half-time during your stay (you really should be able to make a good case for it, seeing as how localization is supposed to be the point). Also, make a point of befriending people and absorbing the local culture. When you are fired and the project cancelled, you have a couple of pretty weighty bullet points to add to your resume.
Oh, and don't sweat being in Japan too much. It's not all that different from Scandinavia, for example; just go with the flow, learn from your experiences and try not to make too big an ass of yourself and you'll be fine. Just like everywhere, if people percieve that you are making an honest effort, they will be very gracious about stuff and very willing to help you out.
Living in this country is a very worthwhile experience.