Free Software Localization And Translation
When mentioning the virtues of free software, always take into account the freedoms this offers unlike proprietary software. As is known, it is possible to study the source code, modify it and distribute the improvements to the user community of that free application. However, when it comes to improvements, you must also take into account that they can reach the largest number of users, which is closely related to the location of the software, for example, the software is at least translated into the native languages of the various users that may exercise it.
What was explained above gives way to another valuable process in Free Software projects such as collaboration, either free or paid. This collaboration is commonly associated with the generation of source code, patches to existing code, new features to software and changes to personal use.
All of this is possible thanks to the power that gives us free software, but if the user or groups of users are not programmers, it is definite to ask or even ensure themselves that they can not contribute to free software projects because they can not change the source code, but this is not true at all, a true collaborative effort in conjunction with the generation of source code happens and that is the process of localization and translation of programs.
Now, not all users can contribute in the latter respect, but it is good to know that the software, being already free, also opens the door to more commence, accurate and extensive translation processes, than those that occur in other forms of software generation.
The process of translating a program and its documentation, is certainly a bit tedious, even complicated, but allows the communities and users, further appropriating the software they use, being able to use it in their native language. An example of this is the project OOoAuthors, which seeks to creative quality documentation for the Openoffice.org office software in several languages. In order to assist in the project, you fair have to send an email to the mailing list of translators and indicate which part of the documentation you want to translate becaise it is separated into modules and usually available first in English and from this execrable, in other languages. This is an example of a project that does not involve modifying the source code and represents an invaluable help, as office software is one of the most notable for any user.
Despite the previously stated, very few people involved in these translation processes, which is a shame because by participating in them, you learn a lot about the particular software and even characteristics of the various languages. In OOoAuthors, the Spanish translation community is largely Latin American and its members are very receptive and responsive to suggestions.
As for the translation of the software as such, the process involves the use of applications to translate files containing the fields “translatable” into the software. Despite the need of additional tools, this process isn’t very complicated because there are applications that can encourage us to edit these special files, an example of such applications if Lokalize, a fairly comprehensive tool to help the translation of programs, including user pre-set phrases automatic translation, glossary, and dictionary, among others.
Lokalize is only going to show the phrases that belong to the files for translation, meaning it doesn’t change the source code and therefore can be used for experienced translators or anyone who wants collaborate.
The projects and applications mentioned in this article are only examples showing that the translation is not a process that is running alone, help is needed in order to achieve acquire a correctly translated application and adapted even to dialects of one language, but to do this, we must work as the program creator did when he or she did it in free software, and request the collaboration and teamwork it involves.
Next time you know and use some free software that is only available in English, French, German, or any other language you know and can translate into your native language, I invite you to do so, net involved and contribute to the continuity of the software and accessibility of it, with a little of your time spend to translate and detect translation errors in existing software, so in that way improvements can be made or definitions of a new translation localized to one country can be created. This allows them to better understand the software and to encourage the exercise of that software.
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Filed under Open Source Customer Support Software by on Jan 24th, 2012. 
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