Sakai Localization Internationalization Beth Kirschner University of Michigan

Sakai: Localization & Internationalization Beth Kirschner University of Michigan beth. kirschner@umich. edu

Localization (l 10 n) versus Internationalization (i 18 n) Localization of a web interface is usually limited to isolating the language dependencies such that they can be easily translated. Internationalization of a web interface takes into account many aspects beyond strict translation of the text, such as cultural differences, space allocation and formatting. Sakai needs to consider both.

Enabling Sakai Localization Velocity templates Java Server Faces templates Java code Static HTML (e. g. help text) Database information

Sakai Presentation Environments Sakai Portal Sakai JSF Widget Set Velocity Templates Sakai Legacy Tools Sakai Legacy Services Sakai Framework APIs The Sakai Tool Environment The Sakai Legacy Environment Sakai Velocity Support Layer Java Server Faces in JSP Java Tool Logic Java Beans Sakai Application Services

Localizing Velocity Templates (before) <form name="view. Form" class="toolbar. Form" method="post" action="#tool. Form("Calendar. Action")"> <input type="hidden" name="event. Submit_do. View" value="view" /> View: <select name="view" size="1" tabindex="3" onchange="blur(); document. view. Form. submit(); "> #foreach ($view in ["Calendar by day", "Calendar by week", "Calendar by month", "Calendar by year", "List of events"])

Localizing Velocity Templates (after) <form name="view. Form" class="toolbar. Form" method="post" action="#tool. Form("Calendar. Action")"> <input type="hidden" name="event. Submit_do. View" value="view" /> $tlang. get. String(“view”) <select name="view" size="1" tabindex="3" onchange="blur(); document. view. Form. submit(); "> #foreach ($view in ["$tlang. get. String('java. byday')", "$tlang. get. String('java. byweek')", "$tlang. get. String('java. bymonth')", "$tlang. get. String('java. byyear')", "$tlang. get. String('java. listeve')"])

Localizing JSF Templates <f: load. Bundle basename="org. sakaiproject. tool. annc. bundle. Messages" var="msgs"/> <f: view> <sakai: view_container title="#{msgs. annc_list_title}"> <h: form> <sakai: tool_bar_item action="#{Announcement. Tool. process. Action. List. New}" value="#{msgs. annc_list_new}" />

Localizing Java Code (before) private static final String STATE_SELECTED_VIEW = "state_selected_view"; private static final String VIEW_BY_DAY = "Calendar by day"; private static final String VIEW_BY_WEEK = "Calendar by week"; private static final String VIEW_BY_MONTH = "Calendar by month"; private static final String VIEW_BY_YEAR = "Calendar by year"; … context. put("selected. View", VIEW_BY_DAY);

Localizing Java Code (after) private static Resource. Bundle rb = Resource. Bundle. get. Bundle("calendar") private static final String STATE_SELECTED_VIEW = "state_selected_view"; private static final String VIEW_BY_DAY = rb. get. String("java. byday"); private static final String VIEW_BY_WEEK = rb. get. String("java. byweek"); private static final String VIEW_BY_MONTH = rb. get. String("java. bymonth"); private static final String VIEW_BY_YEAR = rb. get. String("java. byyear"); … context. put("selected. View", VIEW_BY_DAY);

Localization Status Thanks to the developers at University of Lleida, almost every English phrase has been localized into Resource Bundles (almost 4000 separate phrases) Translation mostly completed in Japanese, Korean and Chinese Interest has been expressed in Slovokian, Portugese, Catalonia, Spanish, Armenian, Hebrew, …

Asian Translations for NEESgrid portal Chinese Japanese Korean

How to Translate… in 5 easy steps 1) Ingest properties files into MS Excel Spreadsheet 2) Translate English Text in spreadsheet 3) Export into Unicode UTF-16 representation 4) Convert from UTF-16 into UTF-8 5) Ascii-encode UTF-8 representation and save as property file for target language locale (see “I 18 N and L 10 N” worksite at http: //collab. sakaiproject. org/portal for tips and conversion utilities)

Dynamic Language Detection What about portals that need to support multiple language locales? Requirements: • Minimum change to existing code and tools • Use existing Resource. Bundle properties files • Simple for users to use� Tatsuki Sugiura at Nagoya University has developed an elegant solution

New Resource. Loader class replaces java. util. Resource. Bundle Resource. Loader works as a Managed. Bean for Java Server Faces (JSF) Resource. Loader works as a wrapper for Resource. Bundle for java and Velocity templates Language Locale retrieved from HTTP request

Users define language preference in browser (IE, Netscape, Safari, Firefox, …)

Resource. Loader Implementation

Enabling Sakai Internationalization Page Layout and design Sentence construction (subject/verb/object) Timezone differences Date & Time construction Definition of a Week Numbers & Currency Language dependent sorting Other culturally dependent data

Page Layouts (skins) Page layouts can differ for application specific reasons or cultural reasons (e. g. right-to-left languages) Layout is completely configurable using CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) Different skins can affect: • • Color & Fonts Icons & Background Images Layout & Format Navigation

Skin Directory Structure /library/skin/ tool_base. css /default/ /tool. css /portal. css /images/ /new-skin/ banner_inst. gif check. gif headback. gif headmid. gif headright. gif help_h. gif info. gif linkoff. gif linkover. gif linksel. gif logo_inst. gif reload_h. gif title. 1. gif topleft-tab. gif title 22. gif topleft-tab_hov. gif titleback. gif topright-p-title. gif titleleft. gif warn. gif titleright. gif topleft-curtab. gif topleft-p-title. gif Define your skin here

Sakai Stylesheet Definitions

Right-justified Skins (thanks to Gonzalo Silverio for screenshots)

Page Layout: Space Allocation

What’s not done yet Problem: Subject/Verb/Object, Subject/Object/Verb, Subject, Object constructions • Solution: Need to rewrite to use Message. Format for these compositions Problem: Timezone differences • Solution: Add timezone option to user preferences and modify affected tools (e. g. Calendar, Chat) Problem: Date & Time construction • Solution: Java provides date/time constructions specific to language locale -- code needs to be audited for consistent usage

What’s not done yet (continued) Problem: Definition of a week • Solution: Configuration option needs to be built into Schedule tool Numbers & Currency • Solution: Java provides number/currency constructions specific to regional locales -- code needs to be audited for consistent usage Language independent sorting • Solution: Java provides correct unicode string comparisons -- code needs to be audited for consistent usage

Questions?