eM Client Localization Tool manual
The aim of eM Client’s developers is to deliver a top e-mail client, that can be used comfortably in every user’s native language.
If you want to participate on improving eM Client’s localization or if you have some comments or suggestions, please feel free to contact us on our support e-mail.
How to use the Translation Tool
First of all download the translation tool from here, unpack to suitable directory and launch the executable file.
Click on ‘File’->’Open’ and select the totranslate.xml file for translation.
Your work will be saved automatically to prevent data loss to autosave.xml file.
When you are done with translation please click on: ‘File’->’Save as’ and save the file as ‘translated.xml’ .
The translation process is very simple. From the Main resource explorer panel on the left, select a resource file to translate. Then you can select the items one by one and type the translated text into the ‘Translated String’ field.
Suggestions for comfortable work
In the menu ‘Operations’, there are several useful functions available with shortcuts. Please note that the ‘Replace all’ function has to be used very carefully.
The shortcut ctrl+N skips to another item in appropriate resource file. This way you don’t have to move your hand from keyboard to mouse so much.
When you use ctrl+F and F3 shortcuts for searching words, then after editing a word you have to press ctrl+N or select another word to save the changes.
You do not have to translate strings that are the same in your language such as ‘&OK’ or ‘12:00′.
Translation rules
1) Unique shortcuts
If an item contains ‘&’ symbol such as ‘&Save as’ or ‘Se&ttings’, the letter following the ‘&’ is used as a key shortcut ( the letter you use when navigating through menus using left Alt key). In your translated text you therefore also have to dedicate one letter for the shortcut. For example: ‘&File’ will become ‘&Archivo’ in Spanish or ‘&Datei’ in German.
When selecting the letter for shortcut, you should adhere to following rules:
- The shortcut letter has to be unique within particular menu (or sub-menu) or tab (for forms with tabs). E.g. letter ‘o’ used for ‘&Open’ item in ‘File’ menu can be used for ‘C&opy to folder’ item in ‘Edit’ menu.
- Some common menu commands (Open, Save etc.) have accustomed shortcuts within all applications - if you think some command is common across applications take a look at other software in your language and respect the shortcut used there.
- For not so common items try to use the first letters of words, if all first letters are taken (or unsuitable) use letters inside the words
- Unsuitable letters for shortcuts are those that stretch under the line of text (e.g. y, j, g, p) or that are to narrow to be easily visible (i, l)
2) Keep the suffix/prefix spaces
Some words start or end with a space like ‘Empty trash and ‘ or ‘ receive messages.’
This is because there is some other text that will be placed before or after the phrase and therefore the space has to be kept also in the translation file.
3) Do not translate the international texts such as ‘&OK’ or ‘12:00′
4) Translating listbox or combobox items
When you encounter a listbox or combobox item such as: list_Actions_Actions.Items ‘ListViewItem: {move to folder}’ translate just the part in the brackets.
5) Inflections and other linguistic specialities
Many languages use words in specific forms according to their meaning in a sentence, which makes correct translation from English quite difficult. If you have a suspicion that your translation may need some correction, please put a ‘*’ (star) character at the end of the word.
It is good to have eM Client opened during the translation and to take a look at it’s parts according to name of the current resource file, you are working on. That gives you the opportunity to judge whether some linguistic issue might occur.
Please let us know if you would like to help us with the localization into any language.
Our current priorities are German, Spanish, Portugese and French. More languages will soon follow so if you want to help us with localization into your native language, we are looking forward to hearing from you. eM Client isn’t just another e-mail client, it’s yours e-mail client.