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Figure 1: The Microsoft VBA development environment.
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The RC-WinTrans localization environment includes Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). VBA is a complete development environment with editor and programming code debugger for developing and running VBA macros. |
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Figure 1: The Microsoft VBA development environment.
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Figure 2: The RC-WinTrans X8 COM object model. |
The RC-WinTrans X8 system is mapped out by a powerful COM object model. The object model was designed to complement the underlying XLIFF data format and to provide the most flexible and adaptable processes for the localization of software projects. The object model makes it possible to access all of the XLIFF translation data- even data added by the user- all the way down to the individual attributes. The object model also provides access to the GUI (graphical user interface) components of RC-WinTrans and to several "Tools" objects.
RC-WinTrans can be completely controlled by other applications via OLE automation where the objects are used in macros created with the integrated VBA.
See "COM Object Model" in the RC-WinTrans Help for more information. |
Macros can be opened, edited, and debugged using the integrated VBA Editor from Microsoft. The macros are located in VBA macros files and are not part of the RC-WinTrans application itself.
These macros files are continuously maintained,
improved, and extended with new functionality.
See also: "VBA (Visual Basic for Applications)." |
RC-WinTrans makes use of external (not part of the RC-WinTrans application) converters to convert data from a given format "X" to/from the XLIFF file format, thereby supporting the translation/localization of various file formats.
The concept of using external converters makes it possible to translate various file formats without having to extend or change RC-WinTrans to support a new file format. Additional file formats can be localized by hooking in a converter that can read and write the source file format.
Converters can be technically realized in a number of different ways: as a command line tool, a COM object, a DLL, an XSLT file, or as a VBA macro. The choice is yours to make and can be based on the most appropriate technology or on the available programming skills. |
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Figure 4: Diagram of the RC-WinTrans X8 converter concept. |
Resource type editors allow for specialized editing according to the requirements of a certain resource type (translation unit). In other words, a resource type editor is an editor that "knows" how to handle the translation of a certain resource type in the most appropriate manner. A resource type editor can be made available for a certain resource type simply by creating a VBA macro which realizes the editing and by making the VBA macro known to the system. A resource type editor is made available to the translator through the user interface (menu and toolbar) of RC-WinTrans. |
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Figure 5: Resource type editor selection in the Text Table view. |
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A number of resource type editors can be made available for one and the same resource type. Examples of resource type editors used by RC-WinTrans (all implemented as VBA macros) include font dialog boxes, a Style Flag Editor for Win32 resources (menu and dialog box items), a Link Label Editor for .NET link labels, and editors handling the translation of accelerator keys.
HTML pages can be used to create custom views and custom functionality. An HTML page interacting with RC-WinTrans runs independently, meaning that there is no direct coupling between an HTML page and RC-WinTrans. This makes it possible to place an HTML page in RC-WinTrans' Tools bar or even in a Microsoft Explorer window detached from RC-WinTrans.
HTML clients can make use of scripting using the RC-WinTrans object model and HTML pages can catch events fired by RC-WinTrans. VBA macros can be called from an HTML page, opening a vast range of possibilities where you can minimize scripting code and take advantage of the ease of the VBA development environment to develop your own functionality.
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