CIT3611 Software i18n Wk 8: i18n Project Management: i18n Processes

1
CIT3611 Software i18n Wk 8 i18n Project
Management i18n Processes

• David Tuffley
• School of Computing IT
• Griffith University

2
Four levels of i18n product maturity (1)

• Translatability of application
• 100 externalised text
• Expansion layout
• Writing for translatability
• Message construction
• Unique IDs, icons

3
Four levels of i18n product maturity (2)

• Data path definitions and manipulation
• Expansion space, dialogues, buffers, data fields
• International character validation
• Database definition of variables
• Database manipulation rules

4
Four levels of i18n product maturity (3)

• Cultural functions
• Date and time formats
• Numeric and currency formats
• Rounding, national sort
• Names and addresses
• Units of measure

5
Four levels of i18n product maturity (4)

• Multicountry communications
• Switchable code pages
• Switchable target languages
• Multiple code page data
• Switchable cultural options
• Single code base

6
Eight layers of technology

• Architecture
• Communications
• Database
• Externals
• Functions
• Hardware/operating system
• Tool
• Process

7
Steps to successful i18n project

• Identify i18n issues
• Educate employees
• Create i18n plan
• Track the implementation

8
Step 1a Identify issues potential problems

• Many software developers
• Speak only english and have limited knowledge of
  other languages
• Are unaware of i18n issues in general
• Dont know what questions to ask to solve these
  problems

9
Step 1b Identify issues how many issues?

• Some experts say 180 issues (excluding
  documentation, training, marketing etc)
• About half of these issues apply to a typical
  software product

10
Step 1c Identify issues options?

• Learn by trial and error with each new
  international release
• Employ developers with i18n experience
• Employ i18n consultants to train your developers
• Employ experienced contractors

11
Step 2a Educate developers re issues

• Definition of each issue
• Examples of each issue within your product
• Possible solutions for each issue
• A change from an Australian mindset to an
  international mindset
• Know when to raise issues before they become
  problems

12
Step 2b I18n also includes non-developers

• Testers
• Technical writers
• Marketing
• Management
• Training

13
Step 2c Evolution not revolution

• I18n education is a process not an event
• Undertanding about international requirements
  takes time to become established
• Think attitude and mindset as well as issue
  and task

14
Step 3a create i18n plan

• Definition of the best solution for each issue
• Prioritisation of each issue
• Estimation of effort for each issue

15
Step 3b Quick fix vs investment fix

• Deadlines
• Resource capability issues
• Cost considerations
• Quality considerations

16
Step 3c how does plan affect

• Organisation
• Process
• Tools
• Deadlines/schedules

17
Step 4a Implementing the plan

• Track progress and make adjustments where
  necessary
• Higher domestic priorities
• Resource scarcity
• Nobody takes responsibility for the effort
• Lack of upper management support

18
Step 4b key issues

• Developers must be educated about i18n
• Must have upper management support
• Must be prepared to find the extra resources,
  make the extra effort for the i18n process

19
Step 4c how much effort does it take?

• About 10 more development effort is required for
  a good i18n implementation
• General the costs of i18n development is
  recovered after 3-4 language versions of the
  product