XML - foreign language websites 2

[echion41]

Hi all,

I would like to know if there is a built-in function in XML or using XSL, that can create alternate language versions of a website's contents.

This is currently a problem facing me with a site that uses an XML based CMS system, and the client would like the site to be available in two foreign tongues. At the moment, I'm considering having the whole site translated manually by native speakers of each language. Is this more a case for Server side software.. such as Microsoft Content Management Server?

Any help or pointers would be greatly appreciated!

echion41

 

[dwarfthrower]

The problem here is that XML is a language for describing the structure of data and XSL is a language for describing the conversion mechanism from one structure to another, eg XML -> HTML. What you want to do is convert the data itself rather than how it is structured. XML/XSL will be of little use to you in that regard.

I'm not familiar with MS Content Management Server, but I know that IBM have an add-in for WebSphere that claims to provide automatic translation.

A google search

http://www.google.com.au/search?q=translation+software

turned up quite a few hits, so perhaps beginning your research there might prove fruitful.

 

[chiph]

At the moment, I'm considering having the whole site translated manually by native speakers of each language.

That's what we did - machine translation was not accurate enough. For a good example of why: translate a paragraph from English into French, then back into English using one of the online tools (Babelfish, Google, etc).

Here's an example from Project Gutenberg:
Original English:
Alice was not a bit hurt, and she jumped up on to her feet in a moment: she looked up, but it was all dark overhead; before her was another long passage, and the White Rabbit was still in sight, hurrying down it. There was not a moment to be lost: away went Alice like the wind, and was just in time to hear it say, as it turned a corner, `Oh my ears and whiskers, how late it's getting!' She was close behind it when she turned the corner, but the Rabbit was no longer to be seen: she found herself in a long, low hall, which was lit up by a row of lamps hanging from the roof.

French
Alice n'était pas un mal de peu, et elle a sauté vers le haut dessus à ses pieds dans un moment: elle a recherché, mais c'était tous les frais généraux foncés; avant qu'elle ait été un autre long passage, et le lapin blanc était toujours en vue, se dépêchant en bas de lui. Il n'y avait pas un moment à perdre: loin est allée Alice comme le vent, et était juste à temps de l'entendre indiquer, car il a tourné un coin, un ` OH mes oreilles et des favoris, comment en retard il obtient!' Elle était étroite derrière lui quand elle a tourné le coin, mais le lapin ne devait plus être vu: elle s'est trouvée dans un long, bas hall, qui a été allumé par une rangée des lampes pendant du toit.

Back into English
Alice was not an evil of little, and it jumped to the top top to its feet in one moment: it sought, but they was all the dark overheads; before it was another long passage, and the white rabbit was always in sight, hurrying in bottom of him. A moment ago to lose: far Alice like the wind went, and was right in time to intend it to indicate, because it turned a corner, a ` OH my ears and favourites, how late it obtains!' It was narrow behind him when it turned the corner, but the rabbit was not to be seen any more: it was in a length, low hall, which was lit by a line of the lamps during roof.

Chip H.


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