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Soluling is a localization tool that contains all the features you need to localize your projects. Soluling makes localization very easy. Soluling is a combination of the desktop application and command-line tool. Soluling supports 100+ file formats. With Soluling, you can localize desktop applications, mobile applications, web applications, documents and online help, data files, and databases. You can use Soluling both software localization and document localization. You can choose the way you use Soluling. Read first an extensive tutorial about how to use Soluling.

When you want to localize something, you usually have an original file or database. Typically you want to have your localized files and databases having to the same structure as the original files, but strings and other localizable items have been translated into the target language. Soluling works on this principle.

Some localization tools are desktop localization tools where the developer selects a file he or she wants to localize, and the tool extracts strings. Then the developer sends a translation kit to the translator to be translated. Finally, when the kit comes back, the developer imports the translations and build localized files. Some other localization tools are web-based localization tools where the developer sends the original file into the service, or the service gets it from the source code repository. The service scans the file and extracts the strings. Then the developer waits that the file is translated and finally gets the localized file back from the service. Both methods have serious issues with continuous localization. Soluling brings the best of both worlds. The key feature is the fact than when Soluling scans the original files, it extracts all the information needed to safely inject the translations back even if the original file has been changed during the translation process. In addition, the extraction happens on a developer's machine or a build server where you have access to all files and databases. Your files never leave your machine and you do not have to give a cloud based translation management software access to your repos. Soluling completely decouples localizable strings from the original files allowing both developers and translators to work independently to each other. Developers work mainly using the desktop and/or command-line tool. Translators work using the desktop application. At the build process, the build server/script gets the current translations either from the cloud or from a local repository (i.e., Soluling project file) and uses them with the command line tool to build the localized files. You can also use Soluling without the command-line tool using only the Soluling desktop application to scan, translate, and build your files.

The following paragraphs show how to use Soluling.

1. Create and scan the project

Select a source file or database you want to localize. Soluling reads the file or database extracting items to be localized and saves them into a Soluling project file. You can use either the GUI or command-line version of Soluling. Later, when we release browser application and REST API, you can also use them to create a new project.

When using the GUI version, choose File | New | From File menu or click New from file button on start view to select a file. Choose File | New | From Database menu or click New from database button on start view to select a database. All four options start Project Wizard that lets you select the file or database and set its properties. Once Project Wizard is complete, Soluling creates a new project that contains the selected item(s). The top-level items in the project are called sources. Each source is a file, file pattern, or database that you want to localize. If you want to add a new source into an existing project, open the project and choose Home | Project | Project | Add File Source or Home | Project | Project | Add Database Source ribbon button. Both options start Source Wizard that lets you select the new file or database to be added into the project. Besides Project and Source Wizards, Soluling contains many other useful wizards.

After you have added items into the project, Soluling scans the items and extracts the elements that need to be translated. The extracted elements are stored in the Soluling project file, .ntp. If you later modify the original file, you should update the project by rescanning it. Choose Home | Project | Scan. This makes Soluling re-read all the items that have been added to the project. If the items contain new or changed elements, Soluling will add or change them in the project. No existing translations are lost. The new and changed elements are also marked so you can easily see what has been changed.

In some cases, you might have some existing localized files when you start using Soluling. That is no problem. When you add a new item into the project, Soluling tries to detect if there exist localized items. If there are any Project Wizard prompts if you want to import translations from localized items. This makes it very easy to reuse existing translations. If Soluling can not automatically find the localized files, you can manually import them by choosing Translate | Import File.

You can find a full list of supported file formats and databases.

2. Translate

Once you have added the items that you want to localize, it is time to translate the items. You have several ways to translate the elements. You can type translations using the translation grid and editors. You can order professional translations from our translation service. You can use translation memory to reuse translations you once made. You can use terminology to translate words. You can import existing translations from various sources. Finally, you can use machine translation to translate items automatically.

If somebody else will do the translation job, you can send the project file to your translator to be translated. Usually, you use one translator per language, but if your project is very large, you can use several translators for one language. In that case, the project is split between translators, and several translators can work on the same project simultaneously.

Soluling contains several features that make your translation work more accurate. These features are spell checking, terminology, validation, and pseudo translations. Spell checker can detect misspelled words and incorrect grammar. Terminology helps you to use used more consistent translations. Validation can detect translations that are missing some data that is needed or detect translations that do not fit in the current context. Pseudo translation makes it easy to test your application on various translations and on different scripts.

The translation grid lets you view and change any translation quick and easily. The sheet works like an Excel sheet. The sheet shows the original and translated values of each row plus some additional information such as comments, status, etc. You can use filters to view only certain types of elements at the time.

In addition to the translation grid, Soluling shows a visual editor if the selected element is a visual element such as dialog or form. The visual editor shows the element visually in the same way as your development tool (e.g., Visual Studio or Delphi) shows. Soluling's visual editors are 100% native. It means that what you see on Soluling's editor is the same as what you see when you run the application. Using the editor, you can relocate the components of the form, and you can change the size of the elements.

In most cases, to localize, you only have to translate the strings. However, Soluling lets you translate all the other kinds of data too. You can change the location, size, font, color, images, audio, videos, XML data, etc. Soluling can localize all the resource elements of your files. There are no limitations or exceptions here. If the element is in the resource data, Soluling can localize it. Even if the element contains your own proprietary binary data, Soluling can localize it.

3. Build and test

After you have translated the project, it is time to build localized files or databases. Choose Home | Build All menu to build localized files. Build creates only localized files for the active language. Build All creates files for all languages in the project. Choose Home | Run to run/view the localized file quickly.

If you use continous localization, perform the localization build process in your build server at the same time you build your application.

Before you can deploy your localized application and files, they need to pass the localization testing.

4. Rescan and go back to Translate step

After you have modified your original files, you let Soluling scan your files or databases again. If Soluling finds any new or changed strings, perform steps 2 and 3 again. You keep going like this for the whole lifecycle of your application.

You can automate all the above processes by using Soluling's command-line tool. It is a powerful tool that can be used from your make or build automation tool. It can do more than build localized files. The tool can scan, machine translate, import, export, and exchange. You can perform most of the tasks on the command-line. The manual translation work cannot be done with the command-line tool. Instead, your translators use either the desktop tool or the browser tool.