Patent Document ID: 7571092
Application ID: 11193169

Base Claim:
1. A method for localizing a software product, the method comprising: an automated localization mechanism implemented in a computer extracting localizable text strings, to be translated into a language for which the product is to be localized, from one or more localizable files of the software product; the localization mechanism searching a localization database for translations of the extracted localizable text strings, wherein the localization database comprises text strings and associated translations of the text strings in the language for which the product is to be localized; the localization mechanism writing translations for the localizable text strings found in the database into localized versions of the localizable files at locations from which the corresponding localizable text strings were extracted such that the localized versions match an original file structure of the localizable files; and the localization mechanism storing the localized versions of the localizable files in file system locations in accordance with a file organization scheme for the product, wherein the localized versions of the localizable files in the file system locations have the original file structure and are ready for a final build into a localized version of the software product such that all translations in the localized versions relative to the localizable files are obtained by the localization mechanism performing said extracting, said searching, said writing and said storing.

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Claim 2:
2. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising: in said searching of the localization database for translations of the extracted localizable text strings, in response to a translation for a localizable text string not being found in the localization database, the localization mechanism generating an entry in a translation kit for the localizable text string, wherein the translation kit is formatted in accordance with a canonical translation kit format, wherein the same canonical format is used for the translation kit regardless of the format of the localizable files, and wherein the translation kit is separate from the localizable files; after said searching the localization database for translations of the extracted localizable text strings, in response to the translation kit including or more localizable text strings to be translated: providing the translation kit to a translator for translation of the localizable text strings in the translation kit, wherein translations of the localizable text strings are added to the translation kit in accordance with the canonical translation kit format; and importing the translations of the localizable text strings from the translation kit into the translation database in accordance with the canonical translation kit format.