Table of Contents
Program Names
Your language team needs to decide if you are going to translate program names. There are a few approaches you can follow to make untranslated program names accesible to non-English speakers.
Simple Policy
Need a simple policy on program names?
Do not translate program names
Pros and Cons of Translating Program Names
| Pros | The program is shown is a script/pronunciation that the user understands |
|---|---|
| Cons | A user will not find the translated program anywhere on the system. Ie they will not be able to run the program using its translated name |
Some tips
- Use single quotes. It is quite easy to use single quotes around the program to indicate that it has not been translated e.g. “Click on the 'KFishMonger' icon”
- Change sentence structure. This source string ”%s: Can't init pipe to gdmgreeter” can quite easily be translated as ”%s: Can't init pipe to program gdmgreeter”, note that by adding the word program it adds clarity
- Use explanatory brackets. If needed add explanatory brackets after the word. You have two options just stick to one method throughout:
- Translated_Program (English_Original)
- English_Original (Translate/Transliteration).
