sgh@mrmarx.msc.com (Satyen Harve) (06/07/91)
I have just been given the responsibility of coming up with a plan to internationalize our product. As a first step, I have to identify all the issues that are involved and determine their impact on our product. I would very much appreciate hearing from someone who has gone through or is going through this process. I'd particularly like to get any tips or information on what all is involved and where to go to read more about it. We are hoping to address both Europe and Asian markets. As a background our product is used in a manufacturing environment by all levels of users from less computer literate operators to C programmers. My background has been in the GUI area (X Windows) and I am aware of X11R5 efforts to address this issue. I have the public draft of Xlib and Xt spec. I know internationalization is not limited to GUI but I am not sure of how to approach it. Again any help, tips, information, pointers will be greatly appreciated. E-mail or post to this group and I will summarize Thanks very much in advance Satyen G Harve -------- Satyen G. Harve (617) 894-3399 MainStream Software Corp ..!uunet!mrmarx!sgh 411 Waverly Oaks Road or Waltham, MA 02154 sgh@mrmarx.msc.com -------- "A reasonable man adapts himself to the world, an unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress is due to the unreasonable man." - Bernard Shaw.
ice@wang.com (Fredrik Nyman) (06/15/91)
sgh@mrmarx.msc.com (Satyen Harve) writes: >I have just been given the responsibility of coming up with a >plan to internationalize our product. As a first step, I have >to identify all the issues that are involved and determine >their impact on our product. I would very much appreciate >hearing from someone who has gone through or is going through >this process. >I'd particularly like to get any tips or information on what >all is involved and where to go to read more about it. We are >hoping to address both Europe and Asian markets. I'd like to suggest that you get: "Digital Guide to Developing International Software" from Digital Press. Order # EY-F577E-DP ISBN # 1-55558-063-7 The book is geared towards the DEC platforms and the various libraries available to VMS, Ultrix and DECwindows programmers. Even if you couldn't care less about these platforms, the book is very valuable. Among other things, it describes common character sets and has quite extensive guidelines fort dealing with internationalization which are valid no matter what platform you're using. DEC can be reached at 1-800-DIGITAL if you want to order this manual. Outside the US, in New Hampshire, Alaska and Puerto Rico: 1-603-884-6660 -- Fredrik Nyman [Surgically Enhanced Cyberdweeb] <ice@wang.com> DoD #0328 Global Adaptation Center, Wang, M/S 019-490, NeXT: <ice@red-zinger.wang.com> One Industrial Ave., Lowell MA 01851, USA BITNET: <ice@drycas>
arnet@hpcupt1.cup.hp.com (Arne Thormodsen) (06/17/91)
A couple of other sources would be the X/Open Portability Guide and (if you can get it) the HP Native Language Support: User's Guide (HP P/N B1864-90003). I am not sure of the general availability of these books. --arne Arne Thormodsen Hewlett-Packard (Tho' I'm not supposed to recommend a competitor's product... The DEC book mentioned in the last posting is probably easiest to get and it's pretty good. The only thing you need to be careful about (unless you are developing for VAXen :-) is separating the DEC specific stuff from the general stuff. Also, there should be a book from OSF, someday soon I hope...)
daves@dbase.a-t.com (Dave Schnepper) (06/18/91)
ice@wang.com (Fredrik Nyman) writes: > "Digital Guide to Developing International Software" > from Digital Press. > Order # EY-F577E-DP > ISBN # 1-55558-063-7 > >The book is geared towards the DEC platforms and the various >libraries available to VMS, Ultrix and DECwindows programmers. I'ld like to echo Fredrik's recommendation of the above book. It is the only "public market" book on Internationalization I've found, and I have found it to be better than all the "company confidential" manuals I've seen (including the Digital manual on which it was based <grin>). We're able to get them at US$29.95 at our local technical bookstore. -- David B. Schnepper Manager, International Translation Support Ashton-Tate, Northern California Product Center 6411 Guadalupe Mines Road