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BoTran works with C4 - C6x Clarion(Legacy) and ABC template chains. Supports Multi-Dll apps.
I was asked to create a Translation Template that was easy to add, use, get up and running, where you do not have to hack the shipping templates, and be reasonably priced. (Whew!) BoTran is the result of that request. I added the "Dynamic" feature to BoTran, because I like "Dynamic", and do not think you should have to restart the app to switch languages<g>. This endeavor was not possible without the interaction of a very good group of Beta Testers, as I am seriously linguistically impaired to English.
Tired of fighting with all the TRN files, ENV files, and different versions to offer several language translations with your app? Tired of fighting with 3rd Party products that can be difficult and confusing to use?
Relief is here with BoTran Translation Manager. BoTran uses its own classes derived from the Translator Class and Error Class provided with Clarion. BoTran does not require any changes to the Base Class Types provided with Clarion. BoTran is added as "Translator" in the Legacy(Clarion) chain.
BoTran is Easy to implement and get up and running. It comes with JumpStart utility to load default text into your Language file for the app, and a BTL file editor (EdBoTran) to add translated phrases. EdBoTran can add any translations you have done for other apps in Copy Trans , so you do not need to duplicate your efforts, and yet still keep your files lean, mean, and fast.
It automatically picks up any items not included in the file at runtime the first time you run a procedure in a language other than "default". You need to uncheck the 'Do not Update the BoTran File' in the global to do this. Remember to check it again when you are done. Go thru the app, opening each procedure, to add any text that is new or missed in the JumpStart utility. This won't be much<g>. Picking a language not being used is the safest<g> so you don't accidentally add strings that are already translated to your language file.
Everything is stored in one file (BTL) for easy maintainability. Prompts, menu items, browse headers and group headers, formatting pictures, key in pictures, Locale info, etc. One additional file (BTS) is used for establishing a default language if your default language is NOT English. If your default language is not English, you have to fill out the TRN files once, shipped with BoTran. This is only necessary to establish your default language with BoTran, which defaults to English.
You can offer 10 Languages with just one tps(BTL) file. Your default language plus 9 additional languages. Add additional BTL files for additional languages as needed. Each additional file adds 9 more languages capabilities. You then need to modify the language change procedure to pass the correct BTL file to the Translator if more than one is used.
Dynamic Language switching is possible using the BoTranLang selector control.
BoTran can use a "global queue" or "direct file" access for translating resource hungry apps.
Hopefully Generous developers will send their Language files(BTL) and ENV files(BTS) to me, so I can post Master Language files on the website to make everyone's life easier when Translating apps. |