Re: Software/Manuals localization for the asian market

[Gila Jones <majones -at- EXO -dot- COM>]

> Does anybody know where can I find information regarding these
> topics:
>
> 1) Software localization for the asian market (china, taiwan, japan,
> korea, etc..)

The definitive reference is published by Microsoft Press. The
author's last name is Kano, can't remember first name. The title is
something like "Developing International Software." That's probably
enough to help you find it via Amazon.

2) Manuals/online help localization (for the asian
> market)

Get Nancy Hoft's book, "International Technical Communication."

 3) How to install and use the asian versions of Windows
> 95/NT, WordPad and Office programs.

I don't understand this. You just install them. It's only difficult
because the installation screens are in the target language, but you
can deal with that by installing side-by-side in another language
(English, Italian, etc.) on another computer at the same time.

4) How to use the american
> keyboard to write chinese/japanese/korean text

Asian characters are input with what's called an Input Method Editor,
or IME. It's sort of like a spell checker. The user types in some
characters that give the program an idea of what is wanted, and then
the program presents several possibilities -- much like a spell
checker does when you type in a word it doesn't know. The user then
selects one of the possibilities.

5) What the
> chinese/japanese/korean keyboards look like and where we can find
> them in Italy/Europe

I've found this difficult. What I would do is make a contact in Asia
and buy a used one from someone there.

6) How to use UNICODE fonts in sofware (message
> strings) and documentation

Check Kano's book, above.

There are some mailing lists and newsgroups for translators and for
programmers of international software. I don't have any names handy,
but a web search should yield information -- that's how I found them
originally. I think those lists and groups would be able to help you
more than this tech writing list.

Gila Jones   ---   majones -at- exo -dot- com

	http://www.documentation.com/, or http://www.dejanews.com/